ELLIS, Jarvis E. (1833-1922) engraver, diesinker.
Born Attleboro, Massachusetts, 4 February 1833.
Son of Darwin Ellis. Worked for Scovill, Waterbury, Connecticut from 1853 to 1919, setting a
company record of 66 continuous years! Listed in census records and city directories (1867-1922)
as diesinker even though he rose to be a foreman in Scovill's brass factory. He signed dies J.E.E. or
J.E. Ellis, preparing thousands of dies for buttons and small metal parts (not in scope of this work.)
Beginning 1900 Jarvis is recognized as company's longest employee, this fact mentioned in company
publications; his pictures often found with those of company officers.
Died Waterbury, Connecticut, 18 September 1922. He is pictured in his obituary in the Waterbury
American on the day of his death!
Medals of Salathiel Ellis (q.v.) often mistaken for those of Jarvis E. Ellis. Also Jarvis Ellis is often confused
with a British-Canadian medalmaker, J.E. Ellis, of Toronto Canada, John Ellis of Baltimore (q.v.) and
infrequently even his own father, Darwin Ellis.
[Cataloger’s note: I believe we have correctly assigned the correct medals in this databank to each of the Ellis medalists.]
C A M P A I G N I T E M S
1868 Grant (Ulyses S.) and Schuyler Colfax Let Us Have
Peace Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DeWitt USG 1868-23
Auctions:. . . . . . .. PCA 50:993, PCA 55:980, PCA 63:125,
PCA 64:807, PCA 65:1468, PCA 68:1287, PCA 70:1159,
PCA 71:1003, PCA 72:1428, PCA 74:1904
Collection: American Numismatic Society. 0000.999.41224
1868 Grant (Ulyses S.) Fight It Out Medal (signed
J.E.E. on truncation). . . . . . . . . . . . . . DeWitt USG 1868-30
Auctions:. . . PCA 47:1675, PCA 64:811-814, PCA 65:1470,
PCA 68:1289, PCA 69:1335-1336, PCA 70:1160-1161,
PCA 72:1430, PCA 74:1905, PCA 80:1242-1245
1868 Grant (Ulyses S.) Fight It Out Medal (signed
name J.E. ELLIS on truncation) . . . . . . DeWitt USG 1868-31
Auctions:. . . . . . .PCA 56:1449, PCA 64:815, PCA 70:1162,
PCA 72:1431, PCA 80:1246, PCA 84:798
1868 Grant (Ulyses S.) Let Us Have Peace Mule
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 64:816
1868 Grant (Ulyses S.) and Colvax (Schuyler) Mule [obv
USG 1868-31 by Ellis, rev SC 1868-3 by George
Hampton Lovett]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DeWitt USG 1868-103
Auctions:. . . . . . . . PCA 58:280, PCA 64:139, PCA 71:201
M E D A L S
1860ca Lincoln (Abraham) U.S.A. Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . King 39
1860ca Lincoln (Abraham) and Louis Kossuth Medal . . King 40
1870 Pilgrim Jubilee Memorial Medal (designed by Asa
Coolidge Warren, engraved by Ellis). . . . . . . . Storer 1552,
Heath MA239-1, HK 13, HK 14, HK 15
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 9:1007-1012, J&J 11:367-368,
J&J 22:788-789, J&J 25:1255; PCA 45:999, PCA 46:775,
PCA 48:911, PCA 54:1383, PCA 60:847-848,
PCA 61:629-630, PCA 66:805, PCA 68:1174,
PCA 70:1010-1012
Collection: American Numismatic Society [>1]. 1910.123.1
Illustrated: M59 {2008} Hoffman (et al), So-Called Dol p 17
1874 National Photographic Association Samuel Holmes Medal
[dates/issued: 1874- ] (signed J.E.E. for Jarvis Ellis,
struck by Scovill, Waterbury). . . . . . . . . . . .
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 71:545
1900 National Guard of New Jersey Medal (number of dies of
this organization in Scovill inventory of dies; some
signed by Jarvis Ellis, some by Adolph A. Hartmann). .
1912 Camp Dutton Welcome to Vets Medal (engraved by Jarvis
Ellis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A R C H I V E S
Mss {undated} In List of diesinkers in Scovill archives Baker Library, Harvard (but
confuses issues engraved by J.E. Ellis and Salathiel Ellis).
B I O G R A P H I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
101 {1896} Anderson (Joseph) The Town and City of Waterbury, Connecticut, From
the Aboriginal Period to the Year Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-five. New
Haven Price & Lee Co. 1896. 3 vols. 2:121. (JEE member of Citizen Fire Engine
Co No. 2 in 1860).
Px {1915} Scovill Bulletin mentions J.E. Ellis as oldest employee in issue of Sept 1915,
and obituary in May-June 1922, with picture on cover and article p 2.
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
M10 {1923} Storer (Massachusetts) 1552, p 200.
S1 {1924} King 38, 39, p 8-9; 40 9; 185 26; 581-585 88. (Index of King by Heyl lists all Ellis artists under one listing.)
S11 {1949} DeWitt AL 1860-41, p 185; USG 1868-23 348; USG 1868-30 349; USG
1868-31 350.
M20 {1963} Hibler and Kappen, HK 13–15 p 6.
S38 {1977} Heath MA239-1.
E18 {1985} McSorley (unpublished manuscript).
R9 {1986} McGuinn and Bazelon, p 27.
M59 {2008} Hoffman (et al) So-Called Dollars, 2nd edition, p 15-16 (name Joseph E.
Ellis was a “control name,” see Ellis, Joseph E.).
Born Attleboro, Massachusetts, 4 February 1833.
Son of Darwin Ellis. Worked for Scovill, Waterbury, Connecticut from 1853 to 1919, setting a
company record of 66 continuous years! Listed in census records and city directories (1867-1922)
as diesinker even though he rose to be a foreman in Scovill's brass factory. He signed dies J.E.E. or
J.E. Ellis, preparing thousands of dies for buttons and small metal parts (not in scope of this work.)
Beginning 1900 Jarvis is recognized as company's longest employee, this fact mentioned in company
publications; his pictures often found with those of company officers.
Died Waterbury, Connecticut, 18 September 1922. He is pictured in his obituary in the Waterbury
American on the day of his death!
Medals of Salathiel Ellis (q.v.) often mistaken for those of Jarvis E. Ellis. Also Jarvis Ellis is often confused
with a British-Canadian medalmaker, J.E. Ellis, of Toronto Canada, John Ellis of Baltimore (q.v.) and
infrequently even his own father, Darwin Ellis.
[Cataloger’s note: I believe we have correctly assigned the correct medals in this databank to each of the Ellis medalists.]
C A M P A I G N I T E M S
1868 Grant (Ulyses S.) and Schuyler Colfax Let Us Have
Peace Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DeWitt USG 1868-23
Auctions:. . . . . . .. PCA 50:993, PCA 55:980, PCA 63:125,
PCA 64:807, PCA 65:1468, PCA 68:1287, PCA 70:1159,
PCA 71:1003, PCA 72:1428, PCA 74:1904
Collection: American Numismatic Society. 0000.999.41224
1868 Grant (Ulyses S.) Fight It Out Medal (signed
J.E.E. on truncation). . . . . . . . . . . . . . DeWitt USG 1868-30
Auctions:. . . PCA 47:1675, PCA 64:811-814, PCA 65:1470,
PCA 68:1289, PCA 69:1335-1336, PCA 70:1160-1161,
PCA 72:1430, PCA 74:1905, PCA 80:1242-1245
1868 Grant (Ulyses S.) Fight It Out Medal (signed
name J.E. ELLIS on truncation) . . . . . . DeWitt USG 1868-31
Auctions:. . . . . . .PCA 56:1449, PCA 64:815, PCA 70:1162,
PCA 72:1431, PCA 80:1246, PCA 84:798
1868 Grant (Ulyses S.) Let Us Have Peace Mule
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 64:816
1868 Grant (Ulyses S.) and Colvax (Schuyler) Mule [obv
USG 1868-31 by Ellis, rev SC 1868-3 by George
Hampton Lovett]. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DeWitt USG 1868-103
Auctions:. . . . . . . . PCA 58:280, PCA 64:139, PCA 71:201
M E D A L S
1860ca Lincoln (Abraham) U.S.A. Medal. . . . . . . . . . . . King 39
1860ca Lincoln (Abraham) and Louis Kossuth Medal . . King 40
1870 Pilgrim Jubilee Memorial Medal (designed by Asa
Coolidge Warren, engraved by Ellis). . . . . . . . Storer 1552,
Heath MA239-1, HK 13, HK 14, HK 15
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 9:1007-1012, J&J 11:367-368,
J&J 22:788-789, J&J 25:1255; PCA 45:999, PCA 46:775,
PCA 48:911, PCA 54:1383, PCA 60:847-848,
PCA 61:629-630, PCA 66:805, PCA 68:1174,
PCA 70:1010-1012
Collection: American Numismatic Society [>1]. 1910.123.1
Illustrated: M59 {2008} Hoffman (et al), So-Called Dol p 17
1874 National Photographic Association Samuel Holmes Medal
[dates/issued: 1874- ] (signed J.E.E. for Jarvis Ellis,
struck by Scovill, Waterbury). . . . . . . . . . . .
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 71:545
1900 National Guard of New Jersey Medal (number of dies of
this organization in Scovill inventory of dies; some
signed by Jarvis Ellis, some by Adolph A. Hartmann). .
1912 Camp Dutton Welcome to Vets Medal (engraved by Jarvis
Ellis) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A R C H I V E S
Mss {undated} In List of diesinkers in Scovill archives Baker Library, Harvard (but
confuses issues engraved by J.E. Ellis and Salathiel Ellis).
B I O G R A P H I C A L R E F E R E N C E S
101 {1896} Anderson (Joseph) The Town and City of Waterbury, Connecticut, From
the Aboriginal Period to the Year Eighteen Hundred and Ninety-five. New
Haven Price & Lee Co. 1896. 3 vols. 2:121. (JEE member of Citizen Fire Engine
Co No. 2 in 1860).
Px {1915} Scovill Bulletin mentions J.E. Ellis as oldest employee in issue of Sept 1915,
and obituary in May-June 1922, with picture on cover and article p 2.
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
M10 {1923} Storer (Massachusetts) 1552, p 200.
S1 {1924} King 38, 39, p 8-9; 40 9; 185 26; 581-585 88. (Index of King by Heyl lists all Ellis artists under one listing.)
S11 {1949} DeWitt AL 1860-41, p 185; USG 1868-23 348; USG 1868-30 349; USG
1868-31 350.
M20 {1963} Hibler and Kappen, HK 13–15 p 6.
S38 {1977} Heath MA239-1.
E18 {1985} McSorley (unpublished manuscript).
R9 {1986} McGuinn and Bazelon, p 27.
M59 {2008} Hoffman (et al) So-Called Dollars, 2nd edition, p 15-16 (name Joseph E.
Ellis was a “control name,” see Ellis, Joseph E.).