Newspaper advertisement Spring 1919
 

1901-1911 Original supplies to European markets were through a wholesale agent in Rotterdam, Weimar Brothers.
Standard Meccano outfits with German language labels were sold in Germany.

1911 the co-operation with Weimar ended because of a dispute about patent rights over a copy of Meccano being sold by Weimar

1911-1913 Production of Dual Brand Clockwork motors No 1 and No 2 by Märklin, stock of these motors were sold by Meccano until 1916.
In my collection is a boxed Märklin Meccano Motor No 1 with a 1916 box label.

1916 Meccano clockwork motors introduced.

1912 In Berlin Hornby founded a distribution-company called Meccano G.m.b.H, Berlin C.2, Burgstrasse 28, Bürohaus Borse

1912- 1916 black finish parts instead of Nickel was used for outfits exported to the mainland of Europe. Standard Meccano box labels in German languages from this period where used for the Netherlands.
The black finished parts were produced in the UK. Meccano wanted to differentiate between the nickel plated parts of the German company Stabil.

1916- July 1917 Due to shortage of material, box labels and nuts and bolt box labels, a MECCANO only label and a outfit number was used as box label and instead of a nuts and bolt box label a red round dot label was used.
Due to shortage of brass, parts where made of steel and painted bronze.
These bronze painted parts can also be found in outfits with the correct 1912 -1916 box label and can therefore be dated just before point they run out of label stock.

August 1917 all rights and trademarks of foreign companies fell in 1917 to the German Reich.

Oktober 1918 – August 1919 production of joint Meccano – Märklin outfits.
The quality of material for this period is different then 1912-1917 production period, softer metal strips and different black (purple) colour.
Box label is changed, the Eiffel tower on this label is different compared to the Meccano box label from the 1912-1916 period and indicating production by Märklin in abteilung Meccano Göppingen.
The manuals used by Märklin in this period used the 1913 aeroplane front page picture and contents list of the 1913- 1915 period and are also marked Märklin abteilung Meccano in Göppingen.

After August 1919 Märklin started production of Märklin Metall Baukasten labelled outfits, first using the Meccano boxes with green interior and a Märklin Metall baukasten label with red edges, glued over the Meccano label.

At the end of 1919 Märklin changed interior colour of the boxed from green to dark red and a changed the numbering system.

In November 1928 after the legal dispute between Meccano and Marklin was settled, Meccano opened a new German sales office in Berlin SW.68 , Alte Jakobstrasse 20-22