The assortment, previously owned by David Finn from Nottinghamshire, consisted of 501 items crafted from wood, papier-mache, or composition.

The toys portray soldiers, animals, and ordinary people in peculiar situations, such as a man excreting a coin or a rabbit astride an egg.

Mr Finn spent decades accumulating the collection before his death at 81 in 2023, leading to the sale on March 12 with Special Auction Services in Newbury, Berkshire.

The top seller was a late 19th-century German composition and wood French Napoleonic Cavalry, which went for £10,912 to a US collector.

Other notable sales included a mechanical shepherdess toy fetching £8,060, a composition eight-piece band going for £4,464, and a six-piece anthropomorphic animal military band selling for £3,100.

According to Special Auction Services, enthusiasts travelled from across the globe to view the collection.

Daniel Agnew, Toy Expert at Special Auction Services, expressed his delight: "It was great to sell such a unique and fabulous collection of very important 19th century toys."

He added: "People travelled from all over the world to attend and prices were amazing!".