To my eye a complete charming thing, and I've never seen another set like this--somewhat akin to antique carved bone alphabets, meant to teach spelling, but in this case a paper alphabet with hand-colored pictures to boot. The label on the lid of the turned wooden box reads "Infant's Alphabet", with the image of a girl holding doll at center. Inside, 28 rounds cut of heavy paper/card, with letters of the alphabet on one side and hand-colored engraved illustrations on the other. Included are two substitutions (made long ago as is clear from the manner of the graphite lettering) to make the set complete--and to my sensibilities very much the better. With excellent font for the letters, and wonderful choice of words to illustrate: egg, quince, viper, etc.
Treen box: 2 5/16" d (at top) x 2 5/16" t. Disks measure 1 5/16" d. Wear to the box and to the letters, both, as evident--indicating that many children, or at least one very devoted one, made great use of these as they learned to read and write! C. 1850s I believe--peer to the two children's books I have listed today as well.
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