(1864) Token DeWitt AL-1864-67 Brass Lincoln-Johnson Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This brass campaign token for the Lincoln-Johnson ticket from the 1864 presidential election is cataloged as DeWitt AL-1864-67. The inclusion of Andrew Johnson's name alongside Lincoln's reflects the National Union Party strategy of presenting a bipartisan ticket — Lincoln the Republican and Johnson the War Democrat — to maximize support for continuing the war. Johnson's selection as running mate was controversial among Republicans, many of whom preferred Hannibal Hamlin, Lincoln's first-term vice president. The brass composition was standard for campaign tokens. The DeWitt AL-1864-67 catalog number is a high designation within the 1864 Lincoln series, suggesting this was either a limited-production variety or a later discovery. The Lincoln-Johnson pairing on campaign material acquired grim significance after Lincoln's assassination on April 14, 1865, when Johnson's presidency devolved into open warfare with Congress over Reconstruction policy, culminating in his impeachment in 1868. Campaign tokens bearing both names document a political partnership that was forged in crisis and ended in national tragedy.

Rarity Notes

Brass campaign token from 1864. DeWitt AL-1864-67. Lincoln-Johnson ticket. High catalog number. Moderately scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #636767; DeWitt AL-1864-67; 1864 Presidential Election; Abraham Lincoln; Andrew Johnson