(1860) Token DeWitt AL-1860-40 Copper Hartford Wide Awakens Campaign

Coin Details

Auction Record

$156 MS63BN 03-24-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

This 1860 copper campaign token, cataloged as DeWitt AL-1860-40, is the copper striking of the Hartford Wide-Awakes Lincoln campaign piece. Note the variant spelling "Wide Awakens" in the title, which may reflect either a die variant or an alternate name used by the Hartford chapter. The copper composition provides a different visual character from the brass version (PCGS #617003), with the reddish-brown surface offering strong contrast for the portrait and inscriptions. The Hartford Wide-Awakes played a crucial role in mobilizing young Republican voters during 1860, and their organized marching and drilling gave the party a quasi-military appearance that both energized supporters and alarmed southern slaveholders who viewed the movement as proto-abolitionist militia activity. The copper AL-1860-40 represents the workhorse distribution metal for this particular die combination, produced in larger quantities than the brass variant for distribution among rank-and-file Wide-Awake members throughout the Hartford area and beyond.

Rarity Notes

DeWitt AL-1860-40. Copper composition. "Wide Awakens" spelling variant. Companion to brass striking (PCGS #617003). Standard distribution metal indicates moderate production numbers.

Cross References

PCGS #779741; DeWitt AL-1860-40 (Cu); 1860 Presidential Election; Hartford Wide-Awakes