ELLIS, Darwin (1807-1884) engraver, diesinker, inventor. Born Massachusetts 1807.
Employed in Attleboro, Massachusetts (1830s) prior to working for Scovill, Waterbury, by 1853.
In 1860 he invented a portable match case with P. Hine, received patents for a fishing line reel and
watch case, all made by Scovill. Listed in Waterbury city directories 1867-82. Secured employment
for his son, Jarvis Ellis (q.v.), at Scovill beginning 1853 (which was to continue to 1919, for an Ellis
family member at Scovill for 66 years!).
Note: A 1970 article stated Darwin Ellis was located in Mishawaka, Indiana (untrue); this was corrected
by the author who stated he confused this diesinker with Henry Darius Higgins (q.v.), so stated in a later
article. Unfortunately other writers have repeated this error, notably Russ Rulau in several of his
token publications.
His Lincoln die muled with numerous reverse dies. Darwin signed dies "ELLIS" in full (as did Salathiel
Ellis for whom he is often confused) [son Jarvis always used initials or initials with last name].
Darwn Ellis died 1884.
[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
1860 Lincoln (Abraham) Railsplitter of the West Medal (struck
by Scovill). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . King 38, DeWitt AL 1860-41
Auctions:. . . . . . . BMP 1:4274, BMP 2:5690; CAL 28:555;
J&J 8:1433, J&J 16:1867, J&J 19:1049; HER 416:6110;
PCA 50:968-969, PCA 64:85, PCA 65:313, PCA 66:1055,
PCA 68:1274, PCA 70:127-129, PCA 70:234; PCA 72:397,
PCA 73:326, PCA 74:349
Collection: American Numismatic Soc [>1]0000.999.40299
1860 Lincoln (Abraham) Scovill Mule Medal . DeWitt AL 1860-42
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . .PCA 63:88, PCA 68:174, PCA 70:132
M E D A L S
1862 Lincoln (Abraham) War For the Union Medal. . . . . King 185
S T O R E C A R D S
1862 Jennings, Wheeler & Company New York Abraham
Lincoln Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . King 581
1862 Nashville Tennessee Public Square Abraham Lincoln
Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . King 582
1862 Dry Goods & Upholstery for Ships and Steamers
Abraham Lincoln Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . King 583
1862 Wests (H.B.) Tray and Troy Trained Dogs Abraham
Lincoln Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . Rulau NY 951F, King 584
1862 Yates (A.C.) Clothing Store Syracuse Abraham
Lincoln Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. King 585
R E P L I C A S & R E I S S U E S
1860ca Doremus & Nixon Lincoln Mule Medal (obv is sailing
ship from Doremus & Nixon NY 224, rev is Darwin
Ellis's portrait of Lincoln from AL 1860-41; both
medals and this struck by Scovill) . . . . . . . . .
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 47:122
N U M I S M A T I C 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. 2:477.
S1 {1924} King 38-40, p 8-9, 185 26, 581-585 88.
S11 {1949} DeWitt, AL 1860-41, p 185-186.
E10 {1970} Gladfelter. Civil War Die Sinkers. Journal of the Civil War Token Society
4:2 (Summer 1970) p 9; 12:4 (Winter 1978) p 132.
E18 {1985} McSorley, Unpublished manuscript (repeats incorrect statement Ellis came from Indiana).
S58 {1999} Rulau. Standard Catalog U.S. Tokens, p 192, NY 951F 279.
Employed in Attleboro, Massachusetts (1830s) prior to working for Scovill, Waterbury, by 1853.
In 1860 he invented a portable match case with P. Hine, received patents for a fishing line reel and
watch case, all made by Scovill. Listed in Waterbury city directories 1867-82. Secured employment
for his son, Jarvis Ellis (q.v.), at Scovill beginning 1853 (which was to continue to 1919, for an Ellis
family member at Scovill for 66 years!).
Note: A 1970 article stated Darwin Ellis was located in Mishawaka, Indiana (untrue); this was corrected
by the author who stated he confused this diesinker with Henry Darius Higgins (q.v.), so stated in a later
article. Unfortunately other writers have repeated this error, notably Russ Rulau in several of his
token publications.
His Lincoln die muled with numerous reverse dies. Darwin signed dies "ELLIS" in full (as did Salathiel
Ellis for whom he is often confused) [son Jarvis always used initials or initials with last name].
Darwn Ellis died 1884.
[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
1860 Lincoln (Abraham) Railsplitter of the West Medal (struck
by Scovill). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . King 38, DeWitt AL 1860-41
Auctions:. . . . . . . BMP 1:4274, BMP 2:5690; CAL 28:555;
J&J 8:1433, J&J 16:1867, J&J 19:1049; HER 416:6110;
PCA 50:968-969, PCA 64:85, PCA 65:313, PCA 66:1055,
PCA 68:1274, PCA 70:127-129, PCA 70:234; PCA 72:397,
PCA 73:326, PCA 74:349
Collection: American Numismatic Soc [>1]0000.999.40299
1860 Lincoln (Abraham) Scovill Mule Medal . DeWitt AL 1860-42
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . .PCA 63:88, PCA 68:174, PCA 70:132
M E D A L S
1862 Lincoln (Abraham) War For the Union Medal. . . . . King 185
S T O R E C A R D S
1862 Jennings, Wheeler & Company New York Abraham
Lincoln Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . King 581
1862 Nashville Tennessee Public Square Abraham Lincoln
Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . King 582
1862 Dry Goods & Upholstery for Ships and Steamers
Abraham Lincoln Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . King 583
1862 Wests (H.B.) Tray and Troy Trained Dogs Abraham
Lincoln Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . Rulau NY 951F, King 584
1862 Yates (A.C.) Clothing Store Syracuse Abraham
Lincoln Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. King 585
R E P L I C A S & R E I S S U E S
1860ca Doremus & Nixon Lincoln Mule Medal (obv is sailing
ship from Doremus & Nixon NY 224, rev is Darwin
Ellis's portrait of Lincoln from AL 1860-41; both
medals and this struck by Scovill) . . . . . . . . .
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 47:122
N U M I S M A T I C 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. 2:477.
S1 {1924} King 38-40, p 8-9, 185 26, 581-585 88.
S11 {1949} DeWitt, AL 1860-41, p 185-186.
E10 {1970} Gladfelter. Civil War Die Sinkers. Journal of the Civil War Token Society
4:2 (Summer 1970) p 9; 12:4 (Winter 1978) p 132.
E18 {1985} McSorley, Unpublished manuscript (repeats incorrect statement Ellis came from Indiana).
S58 {1999} Rulau. Standard Catalog U.S. Tokens, p 192, NY 951F 279.