1864 Token DeWitt AL-1864-38 White Metal Abraham Lincoln Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This white metal campaign token for Abraham Lincoln from the 1864 election is cataloged as DeWitt AL-1864-38, continuing the Lincoln series of campaign pieces from the critical wartime election. White metal was the most affordable composition for campaign tokens, and the AL-1864-38 type represents one of the many varieties available to rank-and-file Lincoln supporters. The 1864 campaign season was marked by dramatic military events that directly affected the political landscape — Grant's costly Overland Campaign in Virginia and Sherman's prolonged Atlanta campaign initially depressed Northern morale and boosted McClellan's prospects, but Sherman's capture of Atlanta on September 2, 1864 transformed the political situation overnight. Campaign tokens produced before and after Atlanta reflect this shift, though the physical tokens themselves rarely bore dates specific enough to mark the transition. This white metal token served as a declaration of support for Lincoln's war policies and his vision of a restored Union without slavery, ideals that were by no means universally supported even in the North.

Rarity Notes

White metal campaign token from 1864. DeWitt AL-1864-38. Affordable mass-distribution format. Lincoln 1864 tokens are collected for their wartime significance.

Cross References

PCGS #968181; DeWitt AL-1864-38; 1864 Presidential Election; Abraham Lincoln