All the other Pepys Bridge sets and supplies I have collected are on the page Pepys & Castell Bridge & Whist Requisites but I wanted to give this very early set a page of its own.
Illustrations of the same, or a very similar caskets from the supplement included in "Complete Contract Bridge Simply Told".
Castell Brothers were first established in the 19th Century as printers and stationers. They produced and sold whist and bridge score cards along with greetings cards, writing paper, devotional texts, small books and many other paper products. By 1930 they were producing their own brand of playing cards, printed by Waddington and selling them as part of a range of Bridge Caskets, Folders and Scoring Blocks.
A 1931 Edition of Complete Contract Bridge Simply Told by H.J. Wheldon, published by Castell Brothers, includes an advertising supplement displaying their range of "Bridge Requisites".
The Caskets with Stock Numbers 613/196 and 605/196 are almost identical to the casket featured here.
In the supplement 613/196 is described as being for Auction Bridge, made of Red Grained Leather and 605/196 is described as Brown Antique Leather Contract Bridge Set. The contents also vary slightly between the sets advertised.
The set photographed clearly matches an amalgamated description of 613/196 and 605/196: Brown Antique Leather with 2 Auction Bridge Blocks printed Brown on Biscuit and 2 Packs of Toned Playing Cards (Castell's Pepys Playing Cards). So the featured casket appears to be a Brown, "Auction" version of 613/196. Whether this casket was produced before or after the advertising supplement I do not know, Castell produced many other caskets including ones with floral, leatherette and alligator skin finishes.