1860 Token DeWitt-AL-1860-51 Brass Abraham Lincoln Campaign

Coin Details

Auction Record

$264 XF45 04-12-2023 Stack's Bowers

Description

This brass campaign token for Abraham Lincoln from the 1860 election is cataloged as DeWitt AL-1860-51. The extensive numbering of Lincoln varieties in the DeWitt catalog reflects the unprecedented scale of campaign material production during the 1860 election. By the time the fall campaign season was underway, die-sinkers across the Northern states were producing new Lincoln token varieties at a rapid pace, each competing for sales from Republican supporters eager to display their allegiance. This brass variant would have attracted buyers who preferred the golden color of brass over the silvery appearance of white metal. Lincoln's campaign strategy in 1860 was essentially defensive — with the Democratic opposition divided into three factions (Douglas, Breckinridge, and Bell), Lincoln merely needed to hold the Northern states that Fremont had carried in 1856 and add Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Illinois to win the Electoral College. The distribution of campaign tokens like this brass piece contributed to the Republican Party's ground-level organizational advantage in those crucial swing states.

Rarity Notes

Brass campaign token from 1860. DeWitt AL-1860-51. Higher catalog number in the extensive Lincoln series. Brass composition provides attractive golden appearance.

Cross References

PCGS #811660; DeWitt AL-1860-51; 1860 Presidential Election; Abraham Lincoln