German Guard Cavalryman

 

This figure is the (Roman) German Guard Cavalyman that first appeared in the Miniature Figurines 72/73 catalogue as PBC 112.

Both PB ranges were based on Phil Barker's books Armies of the Macedonian and Punic Wars and The Armies and Enemies of Imperial Rome. This figure is taken from illustration 12 in the first edition of AEIR.

The code numbers for the AEIR range correspond to the illustrations in the book plus '100', i.e. illustration 1 is figure 101. 

Cavalry models carried the code number on a tag - long since removed - which can make identification a little harder in some cases. This one is fairly easy though. It's a nice basic cavalryman of the 1st century with the addition of a 'barbarian' shaped shield that distinguishes him as part of the elite German bodyguard of the Julio-Claudian Emperors. They were called the Germani Corporis Custodes - often shortened to Corporis Custodes. 

I have mounted this chap onto a PBH 221 and - as you can see - we have the classic 'double saddlecloth' that is a common feature of this range. Both the rider and horse have a saddlecloth! Quite what Minifigs had in mind I can't imagine - but the PBH horses were soon replaced by the new 'H' and 'A' series horses without saddlecloths which solved the problem. 

This figure came with the shield painted but otherwise unpainted and unprimed - so I just filed the shield clean - which it needed anyway because there a lovely big mould line running down the front! You can see traces of the paint I'm afraid - but I didn't consider it worth stripping.

The horse has been stripped but the paint has won out in places!