(1861) Medal DeWitt C-1861-5 White Metal Gallery of American Traitors

Coin Details

Description

This white metal version of the "Gallery of American Traitors" medal from 1861, cataloged as DeWitt C-1861-5, is the white metal composition variant of the brass piece (PCGS #886450). White metal was the standard affordable medium for mass-distribution political pieces, and the existence of both brass and white metal versions indicates the medal producer expected substantial demand for this anti-secessionist propaganda. The white metal version would have been the cheaper option, accessible to ordinary Northerners who wanted to express their opposition to secession through a tangible object. Civil War-era political medals served a function similar to modern bumper stickers or social media posts — they were public declarations of political position that signaled group identity and solidarity. The "Gallery of Traitors" theme was particularly popular in the early months of the war before the initial patriotic enthusiasm gave way to the grim reality of prolonged conflict. These medals documented a moment when Northern public opinion was nearly unanimous in condemning secession, before the war's casualties and economic disruptions created a significant antiwar movement.

Rarity Notes

White metal political medal from 1861. DeWitt C-1861-5. White metal variant of the "Gallery of American Traitors" piece. Mass-distribution format for Union propaganda.

Cross References

PCGS #886445; DeWitt C-1861-5 (white metal); Civil War propaganda; "Gallery of American Traitors"