Authentic 1922 German Tinplate Wind-Up Motorcycle w/ Rider – Original Clockwork – “I-922” Plate

Offered is an authentic early-1920s European (German) tinplate wind-up motorcycle with rider, featuring its original clockwork motor and factory “I-922” identification plate, dating production to circa 1922.

This piece is NOT a reproduction. Construction, materials, and mechanism are fully consistent with post-WWI German tin toy manufacture.

Key features:

• Original lithographed tinplate body with correct period graphics

• Folded and tabbed tin construction (no solder, no spot welds, no glue)

• Original open clockwork motor with straight-cut brass gears and fiber gear

• Correct stabilizer/outrigger wheel beneath engine

• Hand-set steel axles and crimped wheels

• Factory “I-922” stamped plate, a period model/date identifier used by German exporters

• Original interior black japanning

Condition:

• Honest original condition with expected age wear

• No repainting, no modern fasteners, no restoration

• Seams and openings visible are original assembly features, not damage

• Mechanism present and intact (function not tested to preserve originality)

Attribution:

Unmarked examples like this are typical of early-1920s German export production by smaller makers or subcontractors supplying the European and U.S. markets following WWI. Construction and motor design are consistent with known German tin toy practices of the era.

This is a collector-grade survivor, ideal for display, reference, or inclusion in an early tin toy collection.