Early Lesney Toys

updated 9/24/99
(NONE of these cars are for sale).

Moko, NOT Lesney [below]

Early Lesney toys are not my collecting focus, so I do not have a complete set of images.  The list below was prepared from Encyclopedia of Matchbox® Toys © 1997, 1999 [2nd Ed.], by Charlie Mack, reprinted with permission. [notes in teal color are not Charlie's]


Links to others' pages:
Matchbox Memories The Early Toys
http://www.matchboxmemories.com/ Early%20Toys/ The%20Early%20Toys.htm
new 8/19/05

Nick & Debbie's Matchbox Toy Collection Lesney pages
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/ %7Ejones/ 2index/ lesney.htm new 8/19/05


15 toys were released prior to the name "Matchbox" developing, known only as "Early Lesney Toys".  Some were later scaled down to miniatures while others were not.  The bait bread press is not a toy but belongs in a fisherman's box, & the letter opener fits best here (and doesn't elsewhere).

Aveling Barford Road Roller, 4 3/8", 1948
1. dark green body, red wheels, yellow flywheel cast
Early Lesney Aveling Barford Road Roller
2. dark green body, unpainted wheels, no driver or flywheel cast
3. dark green body, unpainted wheels, with driver, no flywheel cast
4. light green body, red wheels, no driver or flywheel cast
5. gray-brown body, red wheels, no driver or flywheel cast
6. red body, unpainted wheels, no driver or flywheel cast
unlisted: orange body, black flywheels cast [seen at 1999 Matchbox USA convention]

Cement Mixer, 3 9/16", 1948
1. pale green body, red barrel & handles, red wheels
2. dark green body, red barrel & handles, red wheels
Early Lesney green Cement Mixer with red barrles
3. dark green body, red barrel & handles, yellow wheels
4. dark green body, green barrel & handles, green wheels
Early Lesney green Cement Mixer with green barrel
5. dark green body, green barrel & handles, red wheels
6. red body, dark green barrel & handles, green wheels
7. red body, dark green barrel & handles, yellow wheels

Caterpillar Tractor, 3 1/8", 1948 [no image]
1. green body & rollers
2. dark yellow body & rollers
3. orange body & rollers

Caterpillar Bulldozer, 4 1/2", 1948
1. pale green body, rollers & blade
2. orange body, rollers & blade
Early Lesney Caterpillar Bulldozer
3. dark yellow body, yellow rollers & blade

Early Lesney Milk Float
Horse Drawn Milk Cart
, 5 3/8", 1948
1. orange body
2. blue body

Rag and Bone Cart, 5 ¾", 1949 [no image, see MICA reproduction]
1. yellow body with red wheels
2. green body with red wheels

Soap Box Racer, 3 1/8", 1949 [no image, see MICA reproduction]
1. gold body, brown body, metal wheels

Early Lesney Jumbo the Walking Elephant
Jumbo the Walking Elephant, 4", 1950
1. light gray body with wind up key John Moore at the 6/99 Matchbox USA Club Convention]

Prime Mover with Trailer & Bulldozer, 18", 1950
1. orange mover & trailer, all green bulldozer
Early Lesney Tractor, Trailer & Bulldozer
2. orange mover & bulldozer, blue trailer
3. orange mover, blue trailer, orange bulldozer with red blade

Ruston Bucyrus Shovel
Ruston Bucyrus Shovel
, 1950 [distributed by Moko, but may not be Lesney product]
1. yellow & maroon body, green shovel & base

Early Lesney Muffin the Mule
Muffin the Mule
, 5 ½", 1951
1. cream body with painted features, puppet strings
[Muffin the Mule TV show home page with Real Audio/Video, Annette Mills with the songs and Ann Hogarth as the puppeteer • http://homepages.which.net/ ~s.lewis/muffin.htm
• http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/ tv/children/muffin/ muffin.htm photos and history of muffin new 8/19/05

Large Coronation Coach, 15 ¾", 1952
1. gold painted body, king & queen cast inside
Large Coronation Coach w/ small coach & covered wagon
2. gold painted body, queen only cast inside [w/ small coach & covered wagon]
3. gold plated body, queen only cast inside
4. silver plated body, queen only cast inside

Small Coronation Coach, 4 ½", 1953 [see large coach image]

Early Lesney Small Coronation Coach
Massey Harris Tractor
, 7 13/16", 1954, & Milk Float [John Moore at the 6/99 Matchbox USA Club Convention]
1. red body, beige wheels with black rubber tires

Bread Bait Press, 2", 1954
1. red body, green wingnut & inner fixture, "Lesney Milbro" cast
2. red body, unpainted wingnut, green inner fixture, "Lesney Milbro" cast
Early Lesney Bread Bait Press
Lesney bait press
3. red body, unpainted wingnut & inner fixture, "Lesney Milbro" cast Note: "Milbro" was a distribution agent for Lesney

Covered Wagon, 4 7/8", 1955
Early Lesney covered wagon w/o barrels
1. dark green body, white cover, brown horses, no barrels
Early Lesney covered wagon w/red barrels
2. dark green body, white cover, brown horses, dark red barrels

Souvenir Letter Opener, 8 ½", 1962 [no image, sliding inner sleeve reveals a hidden tiny matchbox toy]
1. black handle, silver blade, Lesney UK address on silver band
2. black handle, silver blade, Fred Bonner address on silver band


The following items are Moko, NOT Lesney

MOKO (not Lesney) Farmette log wagon (NOT for sale)
Farmette log wagon
Farmette log wagon bpx, top
Farmette log wagon. side
Farmette log wagon with 2 horses (Moko NOT Lesney)

Farmette Treasure Chest Series (Moko NOT Lesney)

Moko  Farmette Water Wagon No. 11 & Miller's Cart No. 12
Farmette Treasure Chest Series Water Wagon No. 11
Water Wagon No. 11
Farmette Treasure Chest Series Miller's Cart No. 12
Miller's Cart No. 12
Farmette Treasure Chest Series box
Farmette Treasure Chest Series

Content for id thumbMain Goes Here

Variation descriptions Lesney's Matchbox® Toys, Regular Wheel Years, 1947–1969, © 1992, & Encyclopedia of Matchbox® Toys, © 1997, 1999 [2nd Ed.], by Charlie Mack, reprinted with permission

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