For a good student, two Reward Of Merit certificates. Pre Civil War.  The graphics of each paper is sweet.  At the top of the first one, a school desk with books, globe, ink well and quill pen.  One corner of a Victorian lass reading a book.  The other corner of a child jumping rope.  The illustration is surrounded with flowers and scrolls.  The other paper has a beehive at the top. An angel on one side and two boys carrying their school books on the other.  Embellished at the edges with trails of leaves, branches and scroll work.  Both are hand colored.  Both  presented to Willis Whitney, signed by Elen Whitney, 1860, Teacher. 

Size is 2-3/4" wide x 6-7/8" long.

Condition:  Some wrinkles, creases to the paper.  Also some discoloration to the one.  Being of fragile nature, this would be no more than one would expect.

Reward of Merits are part of the long history of the American educational system evolving from the first hand drawn to chromolithographed of the later 19th century.