Toy soldiers made by Britain's

It was not until the late eighteenth century that the technology had developed to produce the three-dimensional solid lead figure. These were first developed in France and Germany and imported to Great Britain. At the end of the nineteenth century William Britain set up his toy making business and started producing hollow cast figures, which dominated the toy soldier industry through the first half of the twentieth century. Other makers included the British company John Hill & Co and German companies Elastolin and Lineol.

In post war Britain with materials in short supply Britains Ltd concentrated on its international markets and exported its toys. By the late 1960s the market had declined and Britains stopped producing its hollow cast lead soldiers in 1966.

Although plastics had developed into the hygienic, safe and unbreakable material of choice in the toy industry in the latter half of the twentieth century toy soldiers of this kind did not have the popularity that the lead soldier had gained.