Early Double Nine Embossing Company Dominoes in Original Wooden Box

Regular price $65.00

I've looked a bunch but not found another set of these, which were clearly one of the very first sets produced by The Embossing Company of Albany, NY, established in 1870; I believe these date between 1870-1890.  I really love the pitch printed on the front of the instructions: "These dominoes are the best and cheapest in the world. They are made by machine and thus exact. The bone-faced German and French dominoes are always defective as well as expensive, being made by hand." Ah, American progress!  

The accordion fold booklet, brittle and torn but still holding together, includes rules for a whole series of domino variations. The dominoes are in very good shape, and a complete set of double nines, with locomotives on the backs, and recessed dots that read as almost as gold. The box, original to them I am fairly sure, is in rougher shape; the top edge of one side is broken so it does not hold the slidetop lid tightly, and the joints at the corners of one side will come apart when all the dominoes are packed tightly into the box (alleviated if not worried about the lid sitting flush). My favorite thing: written in pencil in big letters by a young hand is "Dominoes Double Nine," and then on the underside of the box are tiny carved dots representing a couple of double sixes!

Box measures 6 1/2" l x 4" w x 1 7/8" t. Dominoes measure 1 3/4" x 7/8" x 1/4".