(1852) Token DeWitt WS-1852-12 Brass, Pierced Major Gen. Win. Scott Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This pierced brass campaign token for Major General Winfield Scott, cataloged as DeWitt WS-1852-12, is the same die variety as PCGS #653289 but distinguished by its pierced condition. The piercing — a hole punched through the token after striking — indicates this piece was modified for wearing, suspended from a ribbon or chain as a campaign badge. Pierced tokens provide direct evidence of active political participation, as someone took the effort to modify the token for display rather than simply carrying it in a pocket. Scott's 1852 campaign, despite its ultimate failure, generated enough grassroots enthusiasm to produce supporters willing to visibly identify themselves with the Whig candidate. The "Win." abbreviation of "Winfield" in the title reflects the space constraints inherent in die-cutting for small tokens. Scott's loss in 1852 was the death knell for the Whig Party, which had already lost its other great leaders — Henry Clay and Daniel Webster both died in 1852, depriving the party of its intellectual foundations. Within four years, most Northern Whigs would join the new Republican Party, while Southern Whigs drifted into the Know-Nothing and Constitutional Union movements.

Rarity Notes

Pierced brass campaign token from 1852. DeWitt WS-1852-12. Pierced for wearing. The same die variety as the unpierced PCGS #653289 but modified for campaign use.

Cross References

PCGS #940247; DeWitt WS-1852-12 (pierced); 1852 Presidential Election; Winfield Scott