Remarkably, for a fragile piece with articulated head and arm it still worked when set on a table edge to allow the counterweight to be set in motion and start everything moving – then, as the auctioneers said, it became difficult to stop.
Described by the auctioneers as a “sweet thing” this rare toy with completely original paintwork took £420 from a Bath toy collector.
Riding in 50 years on
UK: Fifty years in the same family, and for much of that time tucked away in a cupboard, this 6in (15cm) wooden Redcoat on a prancing horse was in perfectly preserved condition when offered at the Gloucestershire rooms of Wotton Auction Rooms (10 per cent buyer's premium) on January 23 & 24.
