(1856) Medal DeWitt MF-1856-4 Holed, Brass Millard Fillmore Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This 1856 brass campaign medal with hole, cataloged as DeWitt MF-1856-4, was produced for Millard Fillmore's American Party presidential campaign. The holed condition indicates this piece was intended to be worn as a pendant or badge, a common practice among political supporters who displayed their allegiance by wearing campaign tokens on ribbons or chains at rallies and in daily life. Brass provided a gold-like appearance that made campaign tokens more visually striking than their white metal counterparts. The obverse features Fillmore's portrait with campaign inscriptions, while the reverse carries American Party slogans and patriotic imagery. The hole was applied at the time of manufacture rather than post-production, as many campaign token dies included provisions for suspension. The 1856 campaign season saw intense political organizing as three major parties competed simultaneously, and wearable tokens served as the equivalent of modern campaign buttons. Fillmore's brass tokens with the distinctive holed format are representative of the material culture of antebellum American electioneering, when tokens and medals were among the most visible forms of political expression.

Rarity Notes

DeWitt MF-1856-4. Brass composition with original hole for suspension. Holed examples are valued by collectors as evidence of original use as wearable political badges. Moderate rarity among 1856 campaign pieces.

Cross References

PCGS #922186; DeWitt MF-1856-4; 1856 Presidential Election; American Party