Anagrams Crosswords - A Compendium of Games, Pepys Series
First Published: circa 1939, Pepys Series
Illustrator or Designer: Not credited
Contents: 300 wooden letters, folded rules sheet.
Anagrams Crosswords Box Lid Top
Anagrams Crosswords Wooden Tiles
Tiles and Letter Distribution
The tiles are made from three-ply wood. There is no specified letter distribution in the rules. The rules state that letters can be turned over to make blanks but in one set I have blank tiles are supplied painted black and do not look like a home produced adaptation.
In this set there is a handwritten tally of tiles on the back of the rules and is marked "Set Complete 29/12/1956". The set matches the tally and has 25 all-black blanks in addition to 300 letters.
A 24 | B 12 | C 12 | D 15 | E 27 |
F 10 | G 14 | H 11 | I 25 | J 5 |
K 9 | L 9 | M 14 | N 12 | O 14 |
P 8 | Q 4 | R 16 | S 17 | T 9 |
U 9 | V 7 | W 9 | X 2 | Y 4 |
Z 2 | Blank 25 | | | |
"Anagrams Crosswords" was superseded by Spelso, another game with 300 letter tiles but no blanks. The distribution I have counted in "Anagrams Crosswords" differs only very slightly from that in Spelso.
Click on the rules for a larger version.
Anagrams Crosswords Rules page 1
Anagrams Crosswords Rules pp 2-3
No address is given on the box or the rules and Castell Brothers are not mentioned.
The device or logo on the box is very unusual, linking the "S" in "Series" with the "y" in "Pepys". In all other examples that I have seen from this period the "S" is linked to the "e" and slightly later the two become separated.
Game & Version Details
 | Anagrams Crosswords - Box Contents |
 | Anagrams Crosswords - Box Top Side |
 | Anagrams Crosswords - Box Left Side |
 | Anagrams Crosswords - Box Bottom Side |
 | Anagrams Crosswords - Box Right Side |
 | Anagrams Crosswords - Pepys Device on Box Base Note the unusual linking of the "S" in "Series" with the "y" in "Pepys". |