No Date Token DeWitt-SD-1860-24 Copper-Ni Stephen A. Douglas Campaign

Coin Details

Description

This copper-nickel campaign token for Stephen A. Douglas from the 1860 election is cataloged as DeWitt SD-1860-24. The undated format and copper-nickel composition link this piece to the SD-1860-23 (PCGS #946707) as part of a small group of Douglas tokens struck in this unusual alloy. Douglas's 1860 campaign material is significantly scarcer than Lincoln's, reflecting the organizational and financial disadvantages faced by the Northern Democratic campaign. The split in the Democratic Party between Douglas and Breckinridge divided the party's resources, its organizational infrastructure, and its voter base, making it impossible for either Democratic candidate to mount a campaign comparable in scale to the Republican effort for Lincoln. Despite these handicaps, Douglas ran a vigorous personal campaign — the first presidential candidate to actively campaign on his own behalf — barnstorming across the country in a style that foreshadowed modern presidential campaigns. This copper-nickel token preserves the memory of a candidacy that, while unsuccessful, represented the last serious attempt to preserve the Union through political compromise before the resort to arms.

Rarity Notes

Copper-nickel campaign token, undated. DeWitt SD-1860-24. Companion piece to PCGS #946707 in the same alloy. Douglas 1860 material is scarce.

Cross References

PCGS #600206; DeWitt SD-1860-24; 1860 Presidential Election; Stephen A. Douglas