1872 Token Horace Greeley White Metal F. Key-Born & Died

Coin Details

Description

This 1872 white metal token is a companion piece to the brass Horace Greeley token, bearing the same "F. Key-Born & Died" inscription recording the newspaper editor's birth and death dates. The white metal composition provided an alternative to the brass version, produced at the same time for collectors who wanted both metal varieties. Greeley's 1872 campaign remains one of the most unusual in American presidential history — he was simultaneously nominated by the Liberal Republicans who opposed Grant's corruption and by the Democrats who had no viable candidate of their own. His quixotic candidacy, devastating loss, and rapid death made him a sympathetic figure even among his political opponents. White metal campaign and memorial tokens are generally scarcer than brass versions due to the softer metal's vulnerability to wear and corrosion.

Rarity Notes

White metal, Greeley memorial token. White metal is scarcer than the brass version.

Cross References

PCGS #907143; Horace Greeley Token, White Metal, 1872