1860 Token DeWitt-AL-1860-25 White Metal Abraham Lincoln Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This white metal campaign token for Abraham Lincoln from the 1860 election is cataloged as DeWitt AL-1860-25. The mid-range DeWitt catalog number places this among the moderately common Lincoln 1860 varieties. Lincoln's campaign organization, though officially directed from Springfield, relied on a decentralized network of state and local Republican organizations that independently produced and distributed campaign material. This decentralized production model meant that die-sinkers in multiple cities created their own Lincoln token designs, resulting in the extraordinary variety documented in the DeWitt catalog. White metal was the preferred composition for tokens intended for the broadest possible distribution, and the AL-1860-25 type would have been one of many varieties available to Lincoln supporters in the fall of 1860. The 1860 campaign season was uniquely intense because of the four-way race and the looming threat of secession — Southern politicians openly warned that Lincoln's election would mean the end of the Union, giving the campaign an existential urgency that drove both the production and consumption of campaign material to unprecedented levels.

Rarity Notes

White metal campaign token from 1860. DeWitt AL-1860-25. Mid-range catalog number indicates moderate availability. Lincoln 1860 tokens are the backbone of American political numismatics.

Cross References

PCGS #643493; DeWitt AL-1860-25; 1860 Presidential Election; Abraham Lincoln