Made during the WW1 era sometime between 1914 and 1918, “The Silver Bullet” game was made by R. Farmer & Sons (often shortened to “R. F. & S.”). It’s a pitfall or maze dexterity type of game. You guide a small metal ball round a recessed route or maze under glass, trying to avoid obstacles or holes to reach the end; Berlin. The idea is “progress towards victory”. This game, and others like it are more than just simple games. They’re propaganda of the time.

This example here is in a very good condition overall. Notably, the back. All the print is perfectly readable and clear, with no real scuffs or marks. Being just paper, this is rather impressive considering it’s well over 100 years old. There’s a very small tear on one of the corners (see pictures) but the glass is not scratches, broken, chipped or cracked. There is one section of the maze that has lifted slightly, though the game is still perfectly playable and this doesn’t standout at all.

This particular version is rather rare. The more common version has a wooden frame, but this one has a printed paper over a compressed card frame. Why is this notable? Because during this time, wood was prioritised for the war. Also, paper and compressed card doesn’t age nearly as well as proper wood, so this one is not only very rare, but it’s a rare piece, in excellent condition. The more common, wooden framed version is a little easier to find too.

It’ marked on the back R. F. & S which as stated earlier, refers to R. Farmer & Sons. It’s also marked on the front with “British Design” and “British Made”. Quite a lot of branding for a simple ‘game’ but again, it’s propaganda so this really isn’t surprising at all. It’s a lovely piece and sits nicely in any WW1 collection.