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

Coin Details

Auction Record

$168 AU58BN 05-29-2019 Stack's Bowers

Description

This copper campaign token for the Lincoln-Johnson ticket from the 1864 election is cataloged as DeWitt AL-1864-67, the copper variant of the brass piece (PCGS #636767). The copper composition typically indicates a smaller production run and greater scarcity than the brass version of the same dies. The Lincoln-Johnson partnership was one of the most consequential and ultimately tragic political pairings in American history. Lincoln chose Johnson to signal his commitment to national reconciliation and his willingness to work with loyal Democrats, but Johnson's presidency after Lincoln's death proved disastrous for the cause of Reconstruction. Johnson vetoed civil rights legislation, opposed the Fourteenth Amendment, and attempted to restore the antebellum Southern power structure minus slavery — policies that led to his impeachment by the House of Representatives in 1868. This copper token is a poignant artifact that captures a moment of political hope before the assassination and its aftermath destroyed the promise of Lincoln's second term.

Rarity Notes

Copper campaign token from 1864. DeWitt AL-1864-67. Same dies as brass PCGS #636767. Copper variant is typically scarcer.

Cross References

PCGS #710408; DeWitt AL-1864-67 (copper); 1864 Presidential Election; Abraham Lincoln; Andrew Johnson