Hello my fellow DTCAers, just and old little puzzle of mine now:

Long ago I bought from a reliable British Dinky dealer this M/B Job’s Dairy Van:

I have never had any doubt about its authenticity, but still, there is one detail which I cannot explain. The excellent box has no cream colour dot which – as far as I know – is always present when such models show up. A small detail of a larger picture showing the box and the six pack box around it (from Dinky Toys & Modelled Miniatures, later edition in colour, p. 181) is included below:

I show my example (not two, it’s the same one showing front and back of model and box) together with the regular NCB milk float:

This demonstrates that the same (plain) box was used for both models. Does anyone have a comment / explanation? Do more Job’s Vans exist with authentic boxes, but missing the yellow colour sticker?

In fact the use of the cream sticker dot is rather surprising. Above I include a picture of a cream (and red) NCB van, which shows a RED colour sticker. Besides, the Job’s Dairy Van was in cream available only, anyway, so why a colour sticker after all?.

Finally, when putting the model upside down, two characteristics are visible. The NCB van on the left, the Job’s Dairy on the right. Firstly, the 30V catalogue number, cast into the diecast base, has always been maintained (instead of (490 or) 491), even on the late Job’s Dairy van.
Secondly, the front of the Job’s Dairy’s base plate shows a remarkable bend upwards. This may have to do with the problems with the functioning of the die. Can other owners of this van confirm the latter remarkable anomaly too?

Just some additional information about this project:
In August 1960 Job’s Dairy ordered 3,000 models of the cream and red wheels no. 30v Dinky Milk Float, but blank, without the usual decals. This was after the discontinuation in the same year of the familiar Express Dairy and NCB livery's, nos. 490 and 491. The cream, blank promotional models for Job’s Dairy were produced by Meccano, whereas at the same time Job's ordered the red Job’s Dairy decals at Jensen Tranfers Division. Because of serious troubles with the very worn tool Meccano managed to deliver merely 1,176 models. As Meccano even considered the question of scrapping the project, they stopped the problematic production far before the number of 3,000 was reached. The transfers were applied individually, by hand, by the milk factory itself . The first examples were available to the staff itself, and the rest were meant to be presents for business relations.
This model has always treaded tyres, as it was produced far later than this tyre change (1957/58) took place.

I hope for some comments and/or anwers on this matter!

Kind regards, Jan Werner