Further additions to the Herald farm series were announced in the New Lines leaflet for March 1957: "The demand for the farm series has been so great that there has been an addition of no less than seventeen new figures: Turkeys, chickens, lambs, a pig trough, a bull with a ring in its nose, wattle hurdles, sheepdogs, a landgirl and a shepherd. The children will love these new figures and accessories."

LOOSE FARM MODELS

H1510 Turkey Cock/ H1511 Turkey Hen

The Turkey Cock and Hen were issued in charcoal grey plastic and painted in five colours - red bare head and neck, white tail and wing feathers, yellow legs and bill, black eyes and green flush base. The underside of the base is marked 'Made in England' with the Herald symbol in the centre or to the right. The Turkey Cock and Hen were renumbered H2251 and H2252, respectively, in 1959.

Around 1962 the base of the Turkey Cock was recessed and from 1964 the Herald mark replaced with 'BRITAINS LTD MADE IN ENGLAND'. The Hen is only found with a flush base and renumbered 2252 in 1962 before it's deletion at the end of that year. Although less common than the Turkey Cock, the Hen is still relatively easy to find. From 1962 the Turkey Cock was renumbered 2251 and changed from polythene to pvc plastic from 1968 until it's eventual withdrawal in 1980.

Turkey Cock 2251 - Deleted: 1980 Rarity rating: E
Turkey Hen 2252 - Deleted: 1962 Rarity rating: D

Herald Turkey Cock and Hens, with flush bases

H1521 Brown Cockerel/
H1522 White Cockerel

H1521 was issued in brown plastic (some with dark green mixed producing a marble effect) and H1522 in white plastic and painted in four colours - red crop and wattle, yellow legs and bill, black eyes and a green flush base.  The underside of the base has the Herald mark and registered number 'RD 882532' beneath.

From 1959 amalgamated as H2271 Cockerel, in assorted colours. Around 1962 the bases became recessed and the Herald mark replaced with 'ENGLAND'. In 1962 the 'H' prefix was discontinued and from 1967 the cockerel was amalgamated with the Herald hens as 2270 'Cocks and hens assorted'. From around 1968 polythene switched to pvc plastic.

Herald brown chickens, flush bases, with unusual pink plastic Chicken Coop

H1524 Brown Hen feeding/
H1525 White Hen feeding

H1524 was issued in brown plastic and H1525 in white plastic and painted in four colours - red crop and wattle, yellow legs and bill, black eyes and a green flush base.  The underside of the base has the Herald mark and registered number 'RD 882533' beneath.

From 1959 amalgamated as H2272 Hen feeding, in assorted colours. Around 1962 the bases became recessed and the Herald mark replaced with 'ENGLAND'. Subsequent production details same as 2271 above.

H1526 Brown Hen standing/
H1527 White Hen standing

See production details for H1524 and H1525 above.

H1528 Brown Hen running/
H1529 White Hen running

See production details for H1524 and H1525 above.

Note: with such a vast production spanning a twenty-year period, hen oddities do turn up. I have one each of the later recessed base pvc hens 2270 in black plastic. I also have one or two flush-based factory errors with the Herald mark missing and just the registered number on the underside.

Deleted: 1975
Rarity rating: E

Herald Black Bull H1530, probably the easier bull colour to find

H1530 Black Bull/
H1531 Brown Bull/
H1532 White & Brown Bull

H1530 was issued in black textured plastic, H1531 in brown and H1532 in white textured plastic. The black bull has light tan horns and hooves; the brown bull has cream markings, cream tip to its tail, grey horns and hooves and black eyes. The handsome white & brown bull has dark brown markings, grey-green painted horns, and black painted eyes. The painted horns flake very easily. All the bulls have the Herald mark on their underbelly and a small copper ring in their nose (there are engraving differences to the forelock and tail not covered by this guide).

Herald bulls are quite hard to find in good condition with the original ring in the nose, with perhaps the white & brown bull a little more sought after. Replaced at the beginning of 1959 with H2151 Jersey Bull.

Deleted: 1958
Rarity rating: D

Herald Bulls - above: H1531 Brown Bull and below: H1532 White and Brown Bull

H1556 Shepherd

Issued in brown plastic and painted in six colours - grey hat and trousers, tan sacking apron, white lamb under left arm and neckerchief, black bag over shoulder, black boots, moustache, beard, hair and tip of crook, flesh hands and face, green flask and base. The underside of the base has the registered design number 'Rd Des No 882509' bisected by the Herald mark.

From 1959 the shepherd was renumbered H2045 and from 1962 the 'H' prefix was discontinued. Around 1965 the painting was simplified with his trousers and tip of the crook unpainted.

Early painted Shepherds (above) and reduced paint Shepherds (below)

From around 1968 production changed from polythene to pvc plastic and at some point the painting was further reduced - the neckerchief, bag and crook no longer painted. The shepherd was re-moulded and marked '© BRITAINS LTD 1971 MADE IN ENGLAND'.

Deleted: Current Rarity rating: E

H1557 Landgirl

Issued in pink plastic and issued in two standard six colour paint schemes:

• Dark green overalls, cream blouse, brown hair and feed, red lips, matt black gum boots, silver bucket and green painted base. The underside of the base has a large Herald mark.

• Navy blue overalls, white blouse and gloss black gum boots. The underside of the base the registered number 'Rd Des No 882510' bisected by a smaller Herald mark.

There are two distinct engravings of the face, which I refer to as smiling or sombre. I also have a variation of the polythene landgirl in pinkish-orange plastic painted with navy blue overalls, pale lilac blouse, with the large Herald mark and sombre face.

From 1959 the landgirl was renumbered H2052 and in 1962 the 'H' prefix discontinued. From around 1968 2052 switched from polythene to white (early examples found with Herald mark) or off white pvc plastic, marked 'BRITAINS LTD ENGLAND' on the base, also known in the same blue plastic of the pvc farmer's daughter. Later re-moulded and marked '© BRITAINS LTD 1971 MADE IN ENGLAND'.

Deleted: Current
Rarity rating: E 

Early Landgirls in standard colours

Rare variation of polythene Landgirl (L), off-white P.V.C. version (R)

H1574 Lamb standing
H1575 Lamb frisking
H1576 Lamb kneeling
H1577 Lamb lying

Issued in white textured plastic with dark brown painted hooves, eyes and pink painted ears. Each is marked 'ENG' on either the inside back leg or on the underside (lying lamb). Each lamb also has the registered number on its underbelly 'Rd 88253' and so on.

The lambs were renumbered H2211, H2212, H2213 and H2214, respectively, from 1959. In 1962 the 'H' prefix was discontinued and from 1963 amalgamated as 2216 'Lambs in assorted positions'. Changed from polythene to pvc plastic in 1968 and at the end of 1969 the frisking and lying lambs were deleted, followed in 1971 by the standing and kneeling lambs, which were replaced with new models.

Deleted: 1969 and 1971 Rarity rating: E

H1578 Black Lamb, assorted

Herald H1578 Black Lambs, unpainted they had limited appeal and are fairly hard to find

Each of the Herald lambs were issued in black textured plastic as 'Black Lamb, assorted', with the same identifying marks as the white lambs. Probably because they were unpainted and less appealing, production of the black lamb was fairly brief and they were withdrawn at the end of 1958.

Deleted: 1958 Rarity rating: C or D

Sheepdogs, lying, with scarce brick painted variation in the center - all are marked with the Herald logo

H1579 Black and White Sheepdog, running/
H1580 Tan and White Sheepdog, running

Issued in white plastic with either black or tan painted markings, black eyes and nose. Each sheepdog is marked 'Herald' on the inside of the right rear leg and 'ENG' on the inside of the left rear leg. Amalgamated in 1959 as H2221 'Sheepdog running, in assorted colours', and in 1962 the 'H' prefix was discontinued. Around 1964 the word 'ENGLAND' was added along the underbelly and from around 1968 changed from polythene to pvc plastic. Replaced at the end of 1970 by a new model.

Deleted: 1970 Rarity rating: E

H1720 Wattle Farm Hurdles in half-dozen trade sleeve

H1581 Black and White Sheepdog, lying/
H1582 Tan and White Sheepdog, lying

Issued in white plastic with either black or tan painted markings; black eyes and nose. Both have Herald mark on the underside. The Herald marked sheepdogs are also known with darker brick painted markings. Amalgamated in 1959 as H2222 'Sheep Dog lying, in assorted colours' and from 1962 the 'H' prefix was discontinued. From around 1964 the Herald mark was replaced with the word 'ENGLAND' and in 1968 changed from polythene to pvc plastic before its deletion at the end of 1969.

Deleted: 1969 Rarity rating: E

H1720 Pack of Wattle Hurdles

The first of two accessories issued in 1957, the wattle hurdles were produced in brown plastic and marked 'Herald England' at the foot of the hurdle. They were packed in an illustrated white & green printed card box containing half-a-dozen hurdles. They were supplied to the retailer in a plain white outer card sleeve containing six boxes retailing at 1s 6d each. From 1962 the 'H' prefix was discontinued and from 1964 each hurdle is now marked 'Britains Ltd England'.

Deleted: 1966 Rarity rating: E (trade pack of 6 boxes: C)

H1721 Pig Trough

Issued in silver-grey plastic with tan painted swill. The underside is marked 'MADE IN ENGLAND' with the Herald logo to the right. The pig troughs were supplied to the retailer in two-dozen cartons. From 1962 the 'H' prefix was discontinued. Around 1964 the pig trough was produced in a thinner plastic, the Herald logo removed and 'MADE IN ENGLAND' in larger lettering. In my experience these later thinner troughs are slightly harder to find.

Deleted: 1966 Rarity rating: E

On Thursday, I feature the 1957 Display Cartons, Display Card & Boxed Sets

Tags: Intro to Britains Plastic Farm Models, Figures and Toy Soldiers