It looks like you're barking up the wrong tree. The original book appears to have been published in 1962, when handlettering was still a mainstay of any art-school curriculum, and publishers often used handlettering on book covers and jackets, as is the case here. The two Bs are not identical, nor are the two as. (It's harder to see the differences in the three es, but they aren't identical, either.)

Baker Signet is similar, though it doesn't have the single-story g.

might be just me, but i find that ear on the g to be a bit disturbing.

You might say that g is dog-eared.

Thank you for the information. After reading your post, I see exactly what you mean.