(1864) Token DeWitt AL-1864-36 White Metal Abraham Lincoln Campaign

Coin Details

Auction Record

$384 MS65 06-23-2020 Stack's Bowers

Description

This white metal campaign token for Abraham Lincoln from the 1864 presidential election is cataloged as DeWitt AL-1864-36. Lincoln's 1864 campaign operated under the extraordinary circumstances of a civil war that had already killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. The election itself was a remarkable achievement — no other modern democracy had conducted a free election during a major civil war, and Lincoln's willingness to submit to the electoral process even when defeat seemed possible was a powerful statement about democratic governance. Campaign tokens like this white metal piece were distributed through the National Union Party organization and the Union League clubs that supported Lincoln's re-election. The DeWitt AL-1864-36 catalog number places this among the mid-range varieties in the 1864 Lincoln series, which is smaller than the 1860 series but still substantial. Lincoln's re-election was essential to the ultimate Union victory and the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery — had McClellan won, the war ended in a negotiated peace that preserved the Confederacy and continued slavery.

Rarity Notes

White metal campaign token from 1864. DeWitt AL-1864-36. Lincoln 1864 campaign material. Wartime production conditions limited the variety count compared to 1860.

Cross References

PCGS #716261; DeWitt AL-1864-36; 1864 Presidential Election; Abraham Lincoln