(1868) Medalet Dewitt HS 1868-11 White Metal Horatio Seymour Campaign

Coin Details

Auction Record

$76 MS62 02-19-2018 Goldberg Auctioneers

Description

This white metal medalet for Horatio Seymour from the 1868 election is cataloged as DeWitt HS 1868-11. The medalet format — a small medal typically under 25mm — indicates this was designed for wearing or pocket carry. Seymour's 1868 campaign was the last hurrah of antebellum-style Democratic politics, as the party attempted to resist the radical transformation of American society wrought by the Civil War and Reconstruction. Seymour personally opposed many of the Reconstruction measures including the Fourteenth Amendment, and his campaign attracted support from white Southerners who hoped a Democratic victory would end military occupation and restore their political autonomy. The white metal composition was standard for affordable campaign distribution. The DeWitt HS 1868-11 designation represents a higher catalog number in the Seymour series, which is considerably smaller than the Grant series from the same election. Seymour retired from politics after his 1868 defeat, declining subsequent offers to run again. His campaign material documents a critical moment in the Democratic Party's postwar transition.

Rarity Notes

White metal medalet from 1868. DeWitt HS 1868-11. Small format Seymour piece. Democratic campaign items from 1868 are scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #654630; DeWitt HS 1868-11; 1868 Presidential Election; Horatio Seymour