[masraum]

This seems to be what these are. Male and female alignment pins/sockets which is, I think, basically what you said.

multiple random response to the original thread below.

looks like an assortment of dowel pops and alignment pins.

These are brass table leaf alignment dowels for aligning the add-on leaves of dinner tables when expecting guests for special occasions. I just threw some away that were in our daughter's dinner table she was trashing. These were used in more high end dinner tables back in the day.

Dowels for joining one half of pattern to other half. Female fitted first, the male placed in the Female with just the tips of the male showing, the two halves pressed together to leave a mark. The male dowels are fitted after a pilot hole is drilled. Retired patternmaker

My father was a pattern maker and some in his work shop. I think they are pins and sockets (like dowels) to I line up two half's of a pattern.
As I said I think!

pattern making dowels to match 2 halves

These are dowels for pattern making used many over my working life.Mainly used to dowel two halves together.

Dowels for wood patterns. As an ex patternmaker I used them many times

Used in patterns for foundrys there joint plugs for joining one half of pattern to other half i used them years ago

Those are punch diols. Used building doors and old time rocking chairs and an assortment of other wood working. I’ve got 3 sets of these that belong to my great grandad. He used them every day in his wood works shop