Six (6) Uncut Reward of Merit Sheets, in both Hand Colored and Uncolored States

United States, 1830. Very good. Light dust soiling, a couple nicks to edges.. Six (6) uncut Reward of Merit sheets, including three (3) that have been hand colored. Full sheets of unused Rewards of Merit are very scarce, and these are particularly nice examples. What makes this set so special is that each hand colored example corresponds to one of the remaining three uncolored examples, allowing us today to see the sheets in both states. They are also relatively early (1830s). Each sheet offers the instructor with five different design option to choose from, allowing the gift to be tailored to the student's interests. Some of the vignettes include: a portrait of George Washington flanked by classical imagery; a carpenter at work; a girl reading aloud to two small children; and winged putti harvesting wheat and grapes. There is also an interesting vignette showing two European ships being greeted by a group of what appear to Native Americans or "noble savages" with a cross, implying missionary work; it is interesting to consider what kind of social and cultural implications this would have on a young school child viewing this image. Sheet measure approx. 12.75" by 5", and are lithographed.