(1834) Token HT-14, Whig Victory

Coin Details

Auction Record

$960 AU55 09-29-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1834 brass token celebrates a Whig political victory with designs commemorating the opposition to Andrew Jackson's banking policies. The Whig Party, formally organized in 1833-1834, took its name from the British and American Revolutionary-era Whigs who opposed monarchical tyranny — a deliberate parallel to their characterization of Jackson as "King Andrew I." The token's 25mm diameter makes it smaller than the standard cent-sized Hard Times Token, indicating it was intended more as a political medal than as a circulating substitute for coinage. The Whig triumph celebrated on this token refers to the Senate's censure of Jackson on March 28, 1834, for his removal of federal deposits from the Second Bank. Led by Henry Clay of Kentucky, Daniel Webster of Massachusetts, and John C. Calhoun of South Carolina, the Whig-dominated Senate formally rebuked the president — a stinging political blow even though it carried no legal consequences. The censure galvanized both parties: Whigs celebrated it as a vindication of congressional authority, while Democrats viewed it as an unconstitutional overreach. The Whig Victory token series (HT-14 through HT-15E) was produced in multiple die varieties and compositions, reflecting the enthusiasm of Jackson's opponents and the commercial demand for political tokens during this period of intense partisan engagement.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. The smaller 25mm diameter makes this a distinctive piece in the political token series.

Cross References

Low 14; Rulau HT-14