(1840) Gilt Brass Token HT-812A, W.H. Harrison

Coin Details

Description

This gilt brass Harrison campaign token features an elevated metallic treatment that gave the piece a golden appearance. Gilding—the application of a thin layer of gold to a brass substrate—added cost to the token's production but created a more impressive and gift-worthy campaign piece suitable for distribution to prominent supporters or sale at campaign events. Gilt campaign tokens occupied a middle ground between the common copper and brass pieces distributed freely at rallies and the formal campaign medals struck in silver for party leaders and major donors. The golden appearance also evoked the hard-money symbolism central to Whig economic policy—gold coinage representing the sound currency that Jackson's policies had driven from circulation. The 1840 Harrison campaign represented the culmination of the Hard Times token era. The economic issues that had driven token production since 1837—the Panic, the coin shortage, the debate over banking policy—became central campaign themes. Harrison's Whigs blamed Van Buren for continuing Jackson's destructive monetary policies, and the ongoing scarcity of small change in daily commerce provided voters with a daily reminder of the administration's economic failures.

Rarity Notes

Scarce. Gilt brass. Premium Harrison campaign token with gold-tone finish.

Cross References

Rulau HT-812A