(1856) Medal DeWitt MF-1856-6 Holed, White Metal Millard Fillmore Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This 1856 white metal campaign medal with hole, cataloged as DeWitt MF-1856-6, was produced for Millard Fillmore's American Party presidential campaign. The combination of white metal composition and original hole for suspension identifies this as a wearable political badge intended for distribution at campaign rallies and political gatherings. The obverse features Fillmore's portrait as the American Party standard-bearer, while the reverse carries campaign imagery and nativist slogans. White metal holed tokens represent the most affordable and widely distributed form of campaign material in the antebellum era, analogous to free campaign buttons in modern elections. The MF-1856-6 variety completes the documented range of Fillmore campaign pieces in the DeWitt catalog, encompassing six distinct die combinations across brass, copper, and white metal compositions. Fillmore's 1856 campaign, while electorally unsuccessful, demonstrated that a third-party candidacy could attract significant popular support — his 873,000 votes represented a meaningful share of the electorate and drawn enough votes from Fremont to ensure Buchanan's victory.

Rarity Notes

DeWitt MF-1856-6. White metal with hole. The most common format for mass-distributed campaign tokens. Condition varies widely among surviving examples due to soft alloy and wearable format.

Cross References

PCGS #887487; DeWitt MF-1856-6; 1856 Presidential Election; American Party