Mickey Mouse Halloween masks made in Nazi Germany for sale in Norfolk

A pair of masks featuring early depictions of Mickey Mouse are going under the hammer in Norfolk.

They were made during the 1930s for the German market, and have a Walt Disney stamp on them.

David Broom, director at Keys, said: "These are extremely rare, given the combination of being very early on in the history of Mickey Mouse and Disney, and the fact that they were manufactured in Germany under licence.

"The rarity is increased by the fact that the Nazi regime of Adolf Hitler propagandised against Mickey Mouse, with one mid-1930s newspaper article stating, 'Mickey Mouse is the most miserable ideal ever revealed'.

"There is virtually no auction history for these kind of masks, and so we have set a very conservative pre-sale estimate of £200-£300 - although we would not be at all surprised if they sold for very much more than that."

The papier mâché masks form part of a special Toys and Collectors Sale taking place at Keys auctioneers on Wednesday, 30 October.

The character's public debut was in Steamboat Willie, which appeared in 1928 and was one of the first cartoons with synchronised sound.