MARR, John (b 1831, fl 1851-68) German-American engraver.
Born Thuringia, Germany 6 November 1831.
Came to America1851 as a 20-year old settling in Hartford,
Connecticut where he married Bertha V. Bodenstein, a
German native. The couple moved to Milwaukee in 1855
where he was in business as Bodenstein and Marr,
undoubtedly with a relative of his wife.
An advertisement in 5 May 1855 Milwaukee Daily Sentinel
reads “Bodenstein & Marr, Designers & Engravers, Stamps,
Seals, Signs, Billheads, Business Cards, Ornamental designs,
Engravings in gold & silver executed in the best style and
at reasonable prices, 74 East Water St., Milwaukee.”
This business did not last, as the following year Marr was
in partnership with Peter L. Mossin in firm, Mossin & Marr,
(q.v.). This firm made tokens largely for Milwaukee and
Wisconsin merchants. Gladfelter states their workmanship
is excellent, however their attempt at reeding edges was
rather crude.
Marr was the father of the famed painter Carl von Marr
(1858-1936) who painted a portrait of his father at his
engraving bench, in collection West Bend Art Museum,
Westt Bend Wisconsin.
C A M P A I G N M E D A L S
1868 Grant (Ulysses S.) Medal (signed by Marr). . . . . .
1868 Seymour (Horatio) Scales Weight and Found Wanting
Medal (signed by Marr?). . . . . . . . DeWitt HS 1868-40
M E D A L S
1860ca Douglas (Stephen) Portrait Medal (with revNaked
Amazon inscription) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154/218a
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 64:442, PCA 72:168
1867 American Lutheran Reformation 250th Anniv Medal
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 23:135
1867 Kleinsteuber (Charles) Mechanic Milwaukee
Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rulau Wi-Mi 25
1868ca Baptism of Wilhelm Wohlfefallen Medal (in German)
Collection: American Numismatic Soc [>1] . 1967.225.506
1868ca Washington and Lincoln Medal. . . . . . . . . . . Baker 231,
King 837
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 61:894, PCA 81:1161
1871 Milwaukee Peace Celebration Medal (in German, obv
Germania, celebrating end Franco-Prussian
War) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rulau Wi-Mi 33
T O K E N S
1871 K Milwaukee Peace Celebration 10 Cents Token (obv
Germania from medal same year) . . . . . . . Rulau Wi-Mi 22
A R C H I V E S
DS Schenkman (David) Engravers, Diesinkers Databank.
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
S1 {1924} King 837 p 110-11.
S11 {1959} DeWitt HS 1868-40 p 390.
E10 {1970} Gladfelter. Civil War Die Sinkers. Journal of the Civil War Token Society
4:3 (Fall 1970) p 10; 12:4 (Winter 1978) p 134.
E18 {1985} McSorley.
S48 {1985} Rulau and Fuld (Baker) 231 p 102.
S58 {1999} Rulau. Standard Catalog U.S. Tokens, p 192, 348, 480; Wi-Mi 25 733
101 {2003} Levy (Hannah Heidi) Famous Wisconsin Artists and Architects. Middleton
WI: Badger Books (2003) 316 pages, John Marr portrait p 44 in article on his
painter son, Carl von Marr.
Born Thuringia, Germany 6 November 1831.
Came to America1851 as a 20-year old settling in Hartford,
Connecticut where he married Bertha V. Bodenstein, a
German native. The couple moved to Milwaukee in 1855
where he was in business as Bodenstein and Marr,
undoubtedly with a relative of his wife.
An advertisement in 5 May 1855 Milwaukee Daily Sentinel
reads “Bodenstein & Marr, Designers & Engravers, Stamps,
Seals, Signs, Billheads, Business Cards, Ornamental designs,
Engravings in gold & silver executed in the best style and
at reasonable prices, 74 East Water St., Milwaukee.”
This business did not last, as the following year Marr was
in partnership with Peter L. Mossin in firm, Mossin & Marr,
(q.v.). This firm made tokens largely for Milwaukee and
Wisconsin merchants. Gladfelter states their workmanship
is excellent, however their attempt at reeding edges was
rather crude.
Marr was the father of the famed painter Carl von Marr
(1858-1936) who painted a portrait of his father at his
engraving bench, in collection West Bend Art Museum,
Westt Bend Wisconsin.
C A M P A I G N M E D A L S
1868 Grant (Ulysses S.) Medal (signed by Marr). . . . . .
1868 Seymour (Horatio) Scales Weight and Found Wanting
Medal (signed by Marr?). . . . . . . . DeWitt HS 1868-40
M E D A L S
1860ca Douglas (Stephen) Portrait Medal (with revNaked
Amazon inscription) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154/218a
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 64:442, PCA 72:168
1867 American Lutheran Reformation 250th Anniv Medal
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J&J 23:135
1867 Kleinsteuber (Charles) Mechanic Milwaukee
Storecard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rulau Wi-Mi 25
1868ca Baptism of Wilhelm Wohlfefallen Medal (in German)
Collection: American Numismatic Soc [>1] . 1967.225.506
1868ca Washington and Lincoln Medal. . . . . . . . . . . Baker 231,
King 837
Auctions:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PCA 61:894, PCA 81:1161
1871 Milwaukee Peace Celebration Medal (in German, obv
Germania, celebrating end Franco-Prussian
War) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rulau Wi-Mi 33
T O K E N S
1871 K Milwaukee Peace Celebration 10 Cents Token (obv
Germania from medal same year) . . . . . . . Rulau Wi-Mi 22
A R C H I V E S
DS Schenkman (David) Engravers, Diesinkers Databank.
N U M I S M A T I C R E F E R E N C E S
S1 {1924} King 837 p 110-11.
S11 {1959} DeWitt HS 1868-40 p 390.
E10 {1970} Gladfelter. Civil War Die Sinkers. Journal of the Civil War Token Society
4:3 (Fall 1970) p 10; 12:4 (Winter 1978) p 134.
E18 {1985} McSorley.
S48 {1985} Rulau and Fuld (Baker) 231 p 102.
S58 {1999} Rulau. Standard Catalog U.S. Tokens, p 192, 348, 480; Wi-Mi 25 733
101 {2003} Levy (Hannah Heidi) Famous Wisconsin Artists and Architects. Middleton
WI: Badger Books (2003) 316 pages, John Marr portrait p 44 in article on his
painter son, Carl von Marr.