(1840) Token DeWitt MVB 1840-10 Brass Holed Martin Van Buren Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This holed brass campaign token for Martin Van Buren from the 1840 presidential election is cataloged as DeWitt MVB 1840-10. Van Buren, the incumbent president seeking re-election, faced a withering assault from the Whig campaign machine that portrayed him as an effete aristocrat living in luxury while ordinary Americans suffered through the economic depression that followed the Panic of 1837. Van Buren's campaign material is substantially scarcer than Harrison's from the same election, reflecting both the inferior organization of the Democratic campaign and the inherent disadvantage of defending an unpopular incumbent record. The brass composition and holed condition indicate this token was worn by a Van Buren supporter during the campaign, a visible act of political loyalty that required some courage given the overwhelming Whig momentum. Van Buren's defenders attempted to counter the Whig attacks by emphasizing his experience and attacking Harrison as an intellectual lightweight — Charles Ogle's "Gold Spoon" speech in Congress mockingly accused Van Buren of dining with golden utensils, which the Whigs gleefully amplified. Van Buren lost decisively, carrying only seven states, and spent the next eight years unsuccessfully seeking to return to the presidency.

Rarity Notes

Holed brass campaign token from 1840. DeWitt MVB 1840-10. Van Buren 1840 campaign material is significantly scarcer than Harrison material from the same election. Desirable as the losing candidate's piece.

Cross References

PCGS #925062; DeWitt MVB 1840-10; 1840 Presidential Election; Martin Van Buren