This submarine has always been a mystery as far as a model number. This is the first one I have seen with a box. The box is just stamped with “ONE NO 507 SUBMARINE”, no graphics at all. The sub itself is 14″ long. Date of production is yet to be determined.
From my private collection.
The lack of additional graphics on the box would suggest this was a WW2 toy produced between 1943 and 45, at a time when the only toys authorized for manufacture generally were made of wood and/or paper. I’ve had Keystone WW2 restricted wooden toy examples that instead of being nailed together, were instead glued with old fashioned hide glue.
I’ve also had small cast metal toys that were actually made of sawdust and glue, where both halves of the casting mold were filled with the sawdust & glue, pressed together until dry, then hand painted. Last year I sold a pair of never used WW2 cardboard & wood “Walkie-Talkie” toys that were manufactured by the Stamped Metal Products Co.
Actual WW2 toys made during wartime restrictions are fairly rare today. Many were quickly destroyed during play, especially if left outside in the rain even once. And within a few years of the war’s end the quality of toys increased to the point many kids no longer wanted those clearly cheap WW2 toys, and they were quickly discarded for new and better toys.