(1856) Medal DeWitt MF-1856-2 White Metal Millard Fillmore Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This 1856 white metal campaign medal, cataloged as DeWitt MF-1856-2, was produced for Millard Fillmore's presidential campaign on the American Party (Know-Nothing) ticket. Fillmore (1800-1874) had previously served as the thirteenth president from 1850 to 1853 after Zachary Taylor's death, and sought to return to office in 1856 representing the nativist American Party, which opposed immigration and Catholic influence in politics. The obverse features Fillmore's portrait with campaign inscriptions identifying the candidate and the American Party. The reverse carries patriotic imagery and slogans reflecting the party's nativist platform. White metal — a tin-based alloy — was a common and inexpensive material for campaign tokens, allowing mass production for distribution at rallies and political gatherings. Fillmore's 1856 campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, as he carried only Maryland's eight electoral votes in a contest dominated by Buchanan and Fremont. The American Party rapidly disintegrated after 1856 as the slavery question eclipsed nativism as the defining issue of American politics, making Fillmore campaign tokens historical artifacts of a brief but significant political movement.

Rarity Notes

DeWitt MF-1856-2. White metal composition. Fillmore/American Party tokens are less commonly encountered than Fremont or Buchanan pieces from the same election. The American Party dissolved shortly after 1856.

Cross References

PCGS #929380; DeWitt MF-1856-2; 1856 Presidential Election; American (Know-Nothing) Party