1860 Token DeWitt-AL-1860-45 White Metal Abraham Lincoln Campaign

Coin Details

Auction Record

$264 MS62 11-26-2024 Stack's Bowers

Description

This white metal campaign token for Abraham Lincoln from the 1860 election is cataloged as DeWitt AL-1860-45 and represents another variety in the vast Lincoln series. The DeWitt catalog's Lincoln 1860 section is the single largest body of campaign token documentation for any candidate in any election, reflecting both the intensity of the 1860 contest and the comprehensive nature of DeWitt's research. Each cataloged variety represents a distinct die combination — differences in portrait style, inscription placement, reverse design, or die characteristics that distinguish one type from another. White metal tokens like this one were the workhorses of the campaign material distribution system, produced cheaply enough for mass distribution while maintaining sufficient detail to serve as effective campaign advertisements. Lincoln's clean-shaven face on 1860 campaign tokens became iconic, though he would grow his famous beard between the election and his inauguration, reportedly prompted by a letter from eleven-year-old Grace Bedell of Westfield, New York, who suggested "you would look a great deal better for your face is so thin."

Rarity Notes

White metal campaign token from 1860. DeWitt AL-1860-45. Part of the extensive Lincoln 1860 series. Moderate availability among the many Lincoln 1860 varieties.

Cross References

PCGS #927797; DeWitt AL-1860-45; 1860 Presidential Election; Abraham Lincoln