Toy stove:Crescent

American foundries began producing cast-iron toy stoves in the 1840s. After the Second World War, however, the production of miniatures had all but stopped, replaced with more modern ranges made of tin or plastic. Manufacturers instead offered reproductions of the earlier cast-iron models, with collectors, rather than children, in mind. In the 1950s, the Grey Iron Casting Company of Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, used the original foundry patterns for its Crescent and Queen toy stoves to create large quantities of reproduction cast-iron toy stoves. Because the company used the same molds, the reproductions resemble the originals in nearly every detail. However, original Crescent ranges typically came nickel-plated, enameled, or with a copper or nickel finish. This stove, however, has the painted black finish typical of 1950s reproductions.