(1852) Token DeWitt WS 1852-12 Brass Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This brass campaign token for Major General Winfield Scott from the 1852 presidential election is cataloged as DeWitt WS 1852-12, indicating a distinct variety from the WS 1852-1 type. The higher catalog number indicates either later production or a less commonly encountered die combination. Scott's 1852 campaign was the swan song of the Whig Party as a national political force. Despite nominating a genuine military hero whose career achievements far surpassed those of Harrison or Taylor, the Whigs could not overcome their internal divisions over slavery. Scott's acceptance of the Whig platform, which endorsed the Compromise of 1850 including the Fugitive Slave Act, cost him Northern antislavery votes, while his personal sympathies toward immigrants and Catholics alienated nativist Whigs. The brass composition of this token was a common medium for 1852 campaign material. Scott would remain the commanding general of the U.S. Army until November 1861, when age and declining health forced his retirement after he had helped hold the Union together during the secession crisis and recommended the appointment of his protege, Irwin McDowell, to command the field army at Bull Run.

Rarity Notes

Brass campaign token from 1852. DeWitt WS 1852-12. Higher catalog number than WS 1852-1, potentially scarcer. Scott 1852 material is collected as the Whig Party's final presidential campaign.

Cross References

PCGS #653289; DeWitt WS 1852-12; 1852 Presidential Election; Winfield Scott