Every once in a while you come across something that makes you pause and recheck what you know. Granted not much is known about the Marks Brothers Toy Co but when I saw this mold I was stumped and excited. Nothing that I am aware of indicated that Marks Brothers made metal soldiers but here is half of a mold clearly labeled “Marks Bros. Co. Boston USA.” None of the O’Brien Toy Soldier books mention the Marks brothers in any way. Was this from the factory or a home foundry kit? The mold creates a WWI soldier on horseback. The mold measures 3″ wide at the base and 3.25″ high. I recently saw a home molding set by Marks Brothers that had this mold included. It was not for making lead soldiers but wax soldiers.
From my private collection.