"Specialist in 25mm MiniFigs required." Topic

Hello everyone,

For weeks, I have been listing my dear 25 mm Minifigs which are the only figurines that I have kept because I love them so much.

Unlike those currently sold by Caliver books, many of them have had their offensive weapons cast with them but not their shields…

How old are those?

So I'm looking for a history of the different types of 25mm MiniFigs figures…

From memory, there are the "S" series that the 25mm MiniFigs figurines are currently sold by Caliver Books.

They are thinner and sometimes much smaller.

In the "S" series, the shields and offensive weapons are cast with the figurines…

There are also some that are identical to those sold by Caliver Books, but which only have their offensive weapons cast with the figurines…

And finally those currently sold by Caliver Books which are the most recent…

Tom Dye should come along here in good time to offer his expert remarks on this.

TVAG

Speaking only of Ancients, and all from my fallible memory, the "S" range was relabelled "PB" range, which was remodelled as first "thick spear" then "thin spear" PB and IR ranges (integral shields and weapons), then remodelled with separate shields (attached to the casting), then remodelled with "barrel-shaped" bodies with separate weapons and shields (both attached to the casting) then the moulds were redone with normal sized bodies, then some were again remastered to give what are probably the currently available figures.

As far as I am aware both the weapons and the shields were always cast with the main casting, joined by a short metal sprue.

We (GFI) had many separate sprues of various weapons and shield types. We only remolded a few of the 25mm Ancients line to help satisfy a collector's needs to help him complete his army. He bought enough to justify the cost of the mold(s). The 25mm remolded range was Napoleonics, SYW and some ACW equipment. Demand for 25mm ranges here in the USA was next to none- Napoleonics the best selling range by far for 25mm. SOME of the 25mm Ancients had a weapon sprued to the base but almost all had open hands to allow the customer to request what weapons and shield types they wanted. Don't know how the UK is doing it now.
(Thanks, TVAG!)

@Dagwood

No, the "S" range was not renamed the "PB" range, because in the 1972/1973 catalog, we find the ANCIENT 25mm "S" RANGE range which brings together all the antique periods and the PB range in two parts called MACEDONIAN AND PUNIC WARS 25mm "S" RANGE and THE ARMIES AND ENEMIES OF IMPERIAL ROME.

I have all the figurines from these three ranges that I have just described.

In these ranges, weapons and shields are cast with figurines which are smaller than those currently sold, that is the "S" series.

But I have some that are a little larger, in fact often the same and the same size as those currently sold which only have their weapons cast with the figurines and the shield attached to the base (I think they are called the "intermediaries"?).

@ Dye4minis

I only collect 25mm MiniFigs but I miss 25mm "S" RANGE ranges and references like for example the ones below, where can I find them?

1/FRENCH REVOLUTION AND EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN
INFANTRY 25mm "S" RANGE

2/FRENCH REVOLUTION AND EGYPTIAN CAMPAIGN
CAVALRY 25mm "S" RANGE

3/JACOBITE RISING INFANTRY 25mm "S" RANGE

4/JACOBITE RISING CAVALRY 25mm "S" RANGE

5/TURKISH CRIMEA 25mn "s"RANGE

6/TURKISH CRIMEA CAVALRY 25mn "s"RANGE

7/SARDINIAN CRIMEA 25mm "S" RANGE

And still in the CRIMEA 25mm"S" RANGE range the references below:

BCr 8s Highlander Advancing.
BCr 9s Highlander Officer.
BCr 10s Line Artilleryman Firing Gun.
Bcr 18s Line Infantryman Ensign with colors.
Bcr 19s Guard Ensign with colors.
Bcr 20s Highland Ensign with colours.
BCr 21s Officer (Top Hat and Umbrella).
BCr 22s Line Infantry Drummer.
BCr 24s Guards Infantry Drummer.
BCr 25s Highlander Piper.
BCrC 4s Throw.
FCr 5s Line Zouave Advancing.
FCr 6s Line Zouave Officer.
FCr 7s Line Algerian Infantryman Advancing.
FCr 8s Line Algerian Officer.
FCr 10s Line Artilleryman Firing Gun.
FCrC 1s African Hunter.
FCrC 2s Spahi.
RCrC 4s Cossack.
RCrC 5s Caucasian Lancers.

In the INDIAN WAR range:

I.W. 5 Artilleryman with Rammer.
I.W. 6 Artilleryman with Shot.

In the FRANCO-PRUSSIAN WAR range:

PFP 4s Saxon Line Infantry Officer.
FPA 1s Prussian Siege Gun.
FPA 2s French Machine Gun.
FPS 1s Franco Prussian – French General.
FPS 2s Franco Prussian – Prussian General.

In the CAVALRY HORSE 25mm "S" RANGE range

LCH 5s Light Cavalry Horse Prancing.
HCH 4s Heavy Cavalry Horse (Hell for Leather).
HCH 5s Heavy Cavalry Horse Rearing.
HH 10 Heavy Cavalry Horse Standing.
HH 13 Heavy Cavalry Horse Cantering.
HH 15 Heavy Cavalry Horse Galloping.
HH 16 Heavy Cavalry Horse Galloping.
HH 17 Heavy Cavalry Horse Galloping.
HH 18 Heavy Limber Horse.

To help me, contact: loicohiniac@orange.fr

Thanks

So in 25mm there are three kinds of historical figurines:

1/The oldest Serie "S" which are smaller and of all sizes.

2/The "intermediaries" , that are identical to those sold by now by Caliver Books,but they only have their offensive weapons cast with the figures, not their shield

3/The last ones, those with the two open hands currently sold at Caliver Books.

It may nevertheless happen that for ease of casting, the latest Minifigs have the shield cast with the figurine and therefore not have both hands open.

So to go back to your original question, you were asking about about figures with weapons cast in the figures' hands, but the shields attached to the base with a short sprue ? Not "no shield at all", which is how I first read your post.

There were more "intermediates" than you seem to think. My "Thick spear, thin spear, barrel-shaped" list are all "intermediates" from about 1975 to about 1980. (And I have examples of them all !) The "barrel shaped" ones and their subsequent improvements were the first with separate shields. After that there are "open hand" figures, I would guess from the mid 1980s ?

Numbers PB101 and above were relabelled IR101 etc., at some stage, after remodelling.

PB44S, for example, is not the same figure as PB44, although both were Carthaginian officers, I believe. And there were likely four different PB44 figures over time.

According to my research there were:

1 / the "S" series with weapons and shield cast with the figurines and which are smaller than those which appeared subsequently.

2/ the intermediates with only the offensive weapon cast with the figurine.

3/ the last ones who always have their right hand open, but not necessarily the left hand which holds the shield, this for ease of production. But most have both hands open.

Tomorrow I'm taking care of my references from the "NS" range and I don't have the list.

Does anyone have one?

I have many Norman, Carolingian and Moorish riders from the range below, but unfortunately not their reference numbers…

NS 1 Norman armoured spearman
NS 2 Norman archer, armoured
NS 3 Late saxon spearman, unarmoured, kite shield
NS 4 Flemish (?) archer, unarmoured, strange headress !
NS 5 French crossbowman
NS 6 Norman, armoured, attacking with sword
NS 7 Norman, armoured, with club
NS 8 Saxon chieftain,
NS 9 Saxon spearman, unarmoured, round shield
NS 10 Saxon archer, unarmoured, cloak
NS 11 Saxon slinger
NS 12 Saxon peasant infantryman
NS 13 Saxon advancing with axe
NS 14 Late Saxon Huscarle swinging axe, round shield
NS 15 Norman or Late Saxon Huscarle with axe, kite shield
NS 16 Late saxon huscarle standard bearer
NS 17 Viking chieftain
NS 18 Viking huscarle
NS 19 Viking spearman
NS 20 Viking archer
NS 21 Viking berserk
NS 22 Viking ulfhednar
NS 23 Viking heavy spearman
NS 24 Norman, armoured, kite shield, with vertical spear
NS 25 Saxon, unarmoured, round shield, with vertical spear
NSX 1 King Harold

In smaller figurines I also have these:

V1 Viking chieftain (two handed sword)
V2 Viking helmeted spearman
V3 Viking huscarle
V4 Viking Spearman
V5 Viking archer
V6 Viking berserk