Note: This article was published in Antique Toy World magazine from April 2026
I’ve seen, till now, about 10 different of these waltzing spinning tops so far, but maybe there are more, here an overview of the tops that I found.
They are all about 3 till 3,5 inch height and hand painted, the most are made of a cast tin/lead, from these 10 spinning tops there are two partial made of tinplate ( number 5 and 9 ) and one is made of cast iron ( number 10 )
1 and 2 – Fernand Martin
This French company has produced two different models
These two spinning tops are marked on the bar between the legs with “FM Paris”
The second one with the high hat is probably from around 1883 and is marked on the bar with: F.M. PARIS and on the other side with : Bte SGDG 56.947
Martin has applied for a French patent for the dancing couple with the man with the cap under number 169.754 Date: June 24 – 1885
3) Ives, Blakeslee Co.
A manufacturer and distributor of toys from the United States made or sold one example, date: approximately 1890, this one looks a lot like one of the Martins but is unmarked.
4) G. Heyde
This one was made in the Heyde factory in Dresden Germany, made of a cast tin/lead and presumably from around 1895, marked on the bar between the legs with G.H. (George Heyde) and on the other side of the bar with D654.
This spinning top (Tirolertänzer) “Tyrolean Dancers” has product number 1248, It is the original number from before 1906.
In a Heyde catalog from 1904 these “Tyrolean Dancers” are still mentioned with product number 1248.
Heyde chanced all the product Numbers in 1906, I don’t know if this toy was even made after 1906, I don’t have found a product number catalogue from after 1906.
I found an advertising in the A. Wahnschaffe toy catalog from 1895 with this Heyde couple. The number 1467 is the A. Wahnschaffe number in this toy catalog. 35 Pf. ( Pfennig ) was the selling price in Germany
5) unknown
A unmarked maker, the spinning top is partial made of tinplate and only the skirt is made of cast tin/lead, the skirt of the women looks almost the same as the one from Martin, see the pictures number 1 and 2, this top is probably made around 1890 in Germany.
6 and 7 – Britains
This is a English company and made two spinning tops, one ( 6 ) is from 1884, not marked and made in different colors.
The second Britains spinning top ( 7 ) is a mystery, it is marked on the bar between the legs with W Britain, but it is unclear from which date it was made.
Patent Number 13671 registered in England by W Britain on October
16th 1884 was the base for the Waltzing Couple. This patent provides two options for operating the skirt, with a string action or with a coiled spring.
8) C.H. Husted A toy company from the USA, of hoop skirt embossed lettering “C.H. Husted” , this one has a clear connection between the arms, to hold the two halves together.
9) unknown This spinning top is partial made of tinplate and only the skirt is made of cast tin/lead, probably made arount 1890 in Germany, upon closer inspection, some details appear to be the same as the spinning top number 5, but there are also small differences and it has a completely different color scheme. Perhaps the molds were resold and another manufacturer put this dancing couple back on the market.
10) unknown And unmarked maker which is made from cast iron so presumably made in the United States, This has the connection at the man’s abdomen, to hold the two halves together.
Working: The principle is the same for all spinning tops.
In the middle of the female, just above the skirt, is a small rod, you put a loop of a string around it and then turn the skirt around by hand so that the string wraps around the waist. The female stand not completely upright but that is the intention.
The female stands on a kind of pin under the feet, this is loose and therefore it can turn completely.
By placing the dance couple on the floor and then pulling the string tightly, the skirt starts turning quickly,
Because of the center-flying power, the female stands up and the male turns around the female.
The most off these toy tops are around 130/140 years old and very rare to find, but they are so beautiful.
PROVENANCE:
Bertoia auctions
The book of Lourens Bas: The Lost Art of Spinning Tops
Oxford University Press’s academic research platform
The book of Frédéric Marchand: The History of Martin Mechanical Toys
The book of Lourens Bas and Arthur Verdoorn: Fernand Martin Toymaker in Paris 1878-1912
La Nature 1886 Source: (Cnum – Conservatory of Arts and Crafts)
http://altes-spielzeug.info/ Markus Grein & Norbert Eckes
Old Toy Soldier magazine 2018 Volume 42 Number 2