This incredible set was likely used in a Victorian goldsmith shop, to decorate precious objects with the initials of their affluent new owners.
A unassuming card bord box stores eighteen smaller boxes, each labeled with a letter of the alphabet and the letter 'A'. I suspect that this means that originally, this set also had a 'B' and 'C' variant.
Inside each labeled box is a set of brass monogrammed stencils. There are 287 stencils in total. No alphabet is complete, but a lot of letters have most combinations still present. Some monograms even have two different versions.
Since the box does not have all letters of the alphabet present, I wonder if it was ever complete, or if each monogram was created when needed, thereby slowly building this collection. This theory would also explain why the stencils vary slightly in size, while the monograms have the same size.
The complete overview of all available monograms is as follows:
AA: AA - AC - AE – AO – AP -AU3x – AV – AZ.
BA: BA – BC – BE – BG – BH – BL – BM – BN – BO – BP – BR – BS – BT – BU – BV – BW - BZ.
CA: CC -CE – CG – CJ – CK – CM – CN – CO – CP – CT – CU – CV – CW – CZ.
DA: DA – DC – DE – DG – DH – DJ – DK – DL – DO – DP – DR – DS – DT – DU – DV – DW - DZ.
EA: EA – EC – EE – EJ – EO – EP – ES – EU – EV = 9.
FA: FA - FC – FD – FE – FG – FH – FJ – FM – FN – FO2x – FP – FR – FS – FT – FU – FV – FZ2x.
GA: GC – GF – GG – GH – GJ – GL – GM - GN - GO – GP – GT – GU – GV – GW – GZ.
HA: HC – HD – HE – HG – HH – HJ – HL – HN – HO – HR – HU – HV – HZ = 13.
JA: JA – JC – JE – JF – JJ – JL – JM – JM2x – JN – JO – JR – JT – JU – JV – JW – JZ.
KA: KA – KB – KC – KD – KE – KF – KG – KH - KJ – KM – KN – KO – KR – KT – KV – KW – KU – KZ.
LA: LB – LC – LD – LE – LF – LG – LJ – LK – LL – LN – LO – LS – LT – LV – LU – LW – LZ.
MA: MA – MG – MK2x – MO – MU – MZ – (!)NK.
OA: OA – OC – OE – OF – OH – OJ – OK – OL – OM – OO – OP – OR2x – OS – OT – OU – OV – OW – OZ.
PA: PA – PB – PC – PD – PF – PG – PH – PJ – PK – PL – PM – PN – PO – PP – PR – PT – PU – PV – PW – PZ.
RA: RA – RB – RC – RD – RE – RF – RG – RH – RJ – RK – RL - RN – RO – RP – RS2x – RT – RU – RV – RW – RZ.
SA: SB – SC – SD – SE – SF – SG – SJ – SK – SL – SN – SO – SR2x – SS – ST – SU – SV – SW – SZ.
TA: TA – TB – TC – TG – TF – TH – TJ – TK – TL – TN – TO – TP2x – TR – TT – TU – TV – TW – TZ.
WA: WA – WC – WE – WJ – WL – WM – WN – WO – WP – WR – WS – WT – WU – WV – WZ.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Size: Box: 39 x 22.5 x 2 cm.
Alphabetical case: 7 x 6 x 1.5 cm.
The dimensions of the brass stencils vary, but most are 57 x 48 mm.
Age: 19th Century, circa 1880s.
Material: Carton boxes with brass stencils.
Condition: In antique condition with signs of wear, consistent with their age. The outer box displays signs of wear but no large damages. The smaller boxes that keep the stencils together are all in good condition. Most of the stencils appear to be in unused condition, only a few have some small marks.
Please note that this shop is based in the EU. Although antiques are exempt from taxes, buyers from outside the EU might be subject to import duties.