1880 Token DeWitt JG 1880-12 White Metal James Garfield Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This white metal campaign token for James Garfield from the 1880 presidential election is cataloged as DeWitt JG 1880-12. Garfield emerged as the Republican nominee on the 36th ballot at one of the most dramatic conventions in American history, defeating the Grant and Blaine factions through a combination of personal charm and strategic positioning. His campaign material emphasized his compelling personal story — born in a log cabin, raised in poverty, self-educated, a Civil War hero who rose to the rank of major general, and a nine-term congressman. The white metal composition was standard for mass-distribution campaign tokens. Garfield won the election narrowly over Hancock but served only 200 days before being shot by Charles Guiteau on July 2, 1881. Guiteau, a deranged office-seeker who believed he was owed a diplomatic appointment, shot Garfield at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad station in Washington. Garfield lingered for 80 days before dying on September 19, 1881, and his assassination catalyzed the civil service reform movement that culminated in the Pendleton Act of 1883.

Rarity Notes

White metal campaign token from 1880. DeWitt JG 1880-12. Garfield campaign material. His assassination adds poignant historical significance.

Cross References

PCGS #940471; DeWitt JG 1880-12; 1880 Presidential Election; James Garfield; assassinated 1881