Overview Crescent Toy Soldiers Figures is the first of looks at various figure companies. Crescent Toys was started in 1922 and lasted until 1980. They made various toys including vehicles, hollowcast figures besides plastic figures. Crescent did a wide range of figures in 54mm and 60mm. We are going only to show you a sample of their work. If you are more interested in Crescent Toys Plastic Warriors has a checklist of their figures. Also they had a series of articles recently on the company from one of the family members.
Overview Crescent Toy Soldiers Figures A Look
Crescent did their figures in 54mm and 60mm. Here we have a 54mm Arab running with sword up and rifle and French Foreign Legion bugler. Crescent usually did six foot and three mounted for each type. Interesting Plastic Warrior noted in their Crescent checklist that the Arabs were also sold in a box set to Crusaders. Even though three of the foot and two of the mounted had rifles!
This is an example of one of their mounted figures. The knight is with mace and is missing headdress. The other knight mounted poses are with sword and shield and lance with shield. The last pose may be hard to get a the lance is separate.
The Crescent 60mm Mexicans are some of their figures I had as a child. The others are the 54mm cowboys and Indians and the 60mm Cavalry. When Crescent boxed their figures they did eight figures to a box. They would duplicate two of the poses. In case of the Mexicans it was two standing firing the rifle and two standing firing two pistols.
Crescent did 60mm World War II Russians. Here we have three of the poses.
In this photo we have three 60mm Indian army. They did a kneeling firing pose but not standing firing pose.
I hope enjoy you this short look at Crescent Toys.
Crescent x me as I had mentiom before is the best among the cheap old smallers british producers in my personal opinion.
Their sets,poses and variety are far above all made by competitors such Charben, Cherilea, Hilco, Timpo solid, Lone star, Speedwell and others.
Many poses and sets had been covered here in this forum w pride by Stads .
I come across my first sets in loose or full poses direct thanks to Stads list and I never regret spend any amount since to complete most sets.
Cavalry three poses sets in good conditions are top price.
I have almost all sets by now.
Arabs I have tons as easy to convert to be use from medieval till even today.
Mexicans too can be used as western or others
Mounted Mexicans are great too.
The WW2 Soviets are better as KOREANS in many poses because weapons that as typical quality figures were not correct and poor depicted.
Their plastic contrary to many others “unbreakable ” figures of other brands was far better and not fragile w time as TIMPO or HILCO that brake a lot in hand easy because the powder mix in plastic weever thing was and other issues explained by others too.
My thoughts.
Best…
I like the Crescent hollowcast knights from late 1950s. Received a set of what appeared to have been electroplated standing knights with sword and shield, very brightly reflective due to the process. They also had brightly-colorful puff feathers in the top of each helmet. The overall effect was memorable. I finally found a set of these on ebay and I am getting feathers to replace the long-lost originals.
Crescent figures were available in Mrs Braun’s 5 and 10 cent Store in display counters for 15Cents apiece,the Mexicans,Russians,Sikhs and Knights were the only sets I remember being for sale and I know I never saw the Mounted Knights.I was really excited to see the Russians so I could have some “Enemies” for my Marx/Lido GIs and Reliable Canadians.The Sikhs showed up around the time of the 1962 India-China Border War so they were in demand with the local group of kids who had collections fighting in the back garden.I liked the Mexicans especially the 2 revolver shooter who was my Cisco Kid,had many a shoot out on the Fort Superior boardwalk.As they were 15 Cents a figure there were some hard decisions made on a Saturday after the Movie as it was either a figure or a Comic Book or a bottle of Pop from my 50cent allowance and yes I really did walk a mile to school,at least till Grade 3 when I finally got a Bike.
The Crescent figures that I got as a child were from a bus trip that my mother ran to the Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey. I got the Crescent Cavalry and Mexicans and box sets of Charben pirates and 8th Army. The 54mm cowboys and Indians I doi not know when if we got them on a trip to New York City or a gift. I did not see the mounted until visiting PW except for a mounted Mountie firing the rifle. II got that on atrip to Niagara Falls.
Up hill both ways?
Yes there were a couple of Hills,the biggest one was right by my house which was OK once I got my bike as I could get home after School in about 5 minutes so didn’t miss too much of “Western theatre” which started at 3PM.
Ed I walked over a mile to school uphill both ways at one school I attended. There was a path for going to school uphill an another path for going home – uphill; you got in trouble if you took the wrong path.
At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it! LOL
Sounds like my high school, where they had an up staircase and a down staircase. Yes, they were monitored by the two meanest Christian Brothers in the history of the world. Never mess with a dude that has the ten commandments for a collar and never smiled once in the 4 years I went there. Plus it was rumored he had a drinking problem and he was the wrestling coach. The other was just plain crazy. Oh yeah, never take the wrong staircase. When I went to school those dudes had a license to beat on you and they would.Taught by penguins in grammar school and psycho’s in high school, just loads of fun.
The WW1 british foot poses and three mounted poses are unique well done.So the FFL too.I think all sets are great ,their 54 mm series were greater than most 60 mm they did in my opinion,but of curse is every body like .
Too bad those Crescent molds were never recovered when the junk-find- hunting molds frenzy of Cherilea,Charben and free LS saved molds back in late 80s or early 90s.
So i think unfortunately they will never been reissued.
I had ask before with not clear responses in two blogs and to British collectors …
What happen to all those molds not saved back then when some of Cherlia,Charben and LS were found?
They were lost destroyed or some one or few still own some of them!?
The lady- daughter of collectors who still sale the reissues never respond to those question either…
Funny how some minor toy soldier molds question are either mystery ,taboo or else ..
It remain me of MARX WW2 german armor sets molds mystery despairing-rob or else ..
it looks like no one want really talk about it x fears or else.
While others such in Spain clearly knows what happen to all molds,who actual owners are and those that were destroyed or lost due to damage else.(Most spaniards plastic figures mold were made of Bronze in 2,4 or 6 max haves ,often mounted poses one figure and one horse separated )
Best
Their have been umoorsof the years that Crescent molds still exist. We have no proof.
The Marx WWII German armor mold was stolen and has never turned up.
They have never shown up any where.
Yes I always here same simple tale. I’m sure is mucho aboout it ..
But too much speculation. .
My thoughts…
Wonderful romp through my childhood. I remember buying the Russians andbelieving they were contemporary cold war warriors. The joy of all these figures is they could mix freely with Timpo etc for games but the Legionnaires were red and blue whilst the Timpo were FFL khaki. Great post thanks
as a child the tooth fairy would bring me soldiers, usually ‘warriors of the world’ but also what i have since discovered to be the blue box down-sized knock-offs of crescent ACW soldiers. great figures.
The 45/50 mm BLUE BOX- ACW are not at all copies of Crescent ACW poses. They are different poses sets.I have both sets .
Because style resemble some poses are often confused at simple perception as definitely BB artist took idea from SOME Crescent poses but not all poses ,like officer and standing fire very alike but with differences. Bugler is very different and resemble more HERALD or even LIDO pose ,wounded has arms and gesture changed plus other detail ,A all new nice banner pose was made by BB and running pose is far different from advancing and running Crescent.
Also in my personal view the uniforms and lenght of weapons of BB are much better than Crescent .
Both ACW and US cavalry Crescent sets were down scale copied direct by HK too often adding to confusing being by BB.
I had done a work on it w compere pics for admin one day post in his long list …
My thoughts.
Best.
Interesting that they changed their stand, the 54’s had those ugly rectangular, while the 60’s had those amoeba like stands.
I like the 54mm Crescent figures much more than the 60mm. The sculpting style is much better. Those Arab and FFL figures are wonderful. I wish recasts were available. The 54mm Romans were very nice, too. I have a Signifer with lion skin and standard that looks magnificent. The 60mm figures are a lot less realistically sculpted in my opinion.
I really enjoy some of Crescents figures. I am looking for some figures of home guard, especially the Home Guard marching with his rifle slung over his shoulder. He carries his tin hat behind him. If anyone can put me in touch with some one who can help me to find some. Many thanks
Can anyone tell me please who sculpted most of the Crescent 54mm figures? (The same hand which seems to be recognisable in the Foreign Legion, Arabs and Romans)
Paul Morehead has mention to me that George Musgrave was the sculptor.