1840 Token DeWitt MVB 1840-8 Copper Martin Van Buren Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This copper campaign token for Martin Van Buren from the 1840 election is cataloged as DeWitt MVB 1840-8. Van Buren's re-election campaign was overwhelmed by the Whig juggernaut, but his supporters nevertheless produced a modest range of campaign tokens and medals bearing his image. The copper composition indicates a higher-quality production than the typical white metal campaign pieces, indicating that at least some Van Buren supporters invested in more durable campaign items. Van Buren's 1840 defeat was crushing — he lost his own home state of New York and carried only seven states nationally — but his subsequent political career remained active. He sought the Democratic nomination again in 1844 but was denied by the two-thirds rule at the convention, and in 1848 he ran as the Free Soil Party candidate, splitting the Democratic vote in New York and inadvertently helping Zachary Taylor win the presidency. Van Buren's role as the architect of the modern Democratic Party and the first president born as an American citizen (rather than a British colonial subject) has been increasingly appreciated by historians. Campaign tokens from his losing 1840 bid are collected as part of the comprehensive 1840 election material.

Rarity Notes

Copper campaign token from 1840. DeWitt MVB 1840-8. Van Buren 1840 material is substantially scarcer than Harrison's. Important as documentation of the losing side of the pivotal 1840 campaign.

Cross References

PCGS #889147; DeWitt MVB 1840-8; 1840 Presidential Election; Martin Van Buren