A Lincoln / "Long may it wave" political medalet
BillJones
Posts: 34,249 ✭✭✭✭✭
Recently this piece popped up on a dealer's fix price list, and I purchased it. It is a DeWitt AL 1864-33 in copper. It is rated as an R-8, estimated 5 to 10 known. It is also known in brass, white metal and silver. Each of those pieces are also rated R-8 which would put the total population at 20 to 40 pieces. This piece is also listed as a Civil War token, patriotic die combination 131/217a. PCGS graded it MS-63, Brown.
This Lincoln medal was also paired with a Union League reverse. I have that piece also. This is listed as DeWitt AL 1864-32 and as Patriotic Civil War token 131/479b. The rarity is similar to the previous piece.
Finally the reverses were combined for another token, which is in DeWitt as U-1862-6. It is also listed as a Civil War token with the numbers 479/217. I don't own an example of this combination and will probably never go after it. This is a combination of the tokens shown above.
This tokens were issued by the Union League of Philadelphia. The Union League was a political/patriotic organization which supported candidates who supported the Union cause during the Civil War. It was mostly a Republican organization although it did lend support to some pro-Union Democrats during the Civil War. It still exists today. Here is the Union Headquarters as looks today in Philadelphia.
E.C. Key and Sons made the dies for these tokens and probably the tokens as well. A member of the family, William Key worked at the Philadelphia Mint after the Civil War, during the era of George Morgan and Charles Barber.
I believe that these pieces were made for the Union League members. There also some pieces that were struck for collectors.
I also have the die that was used to strike the Lincoln obverse. This is one of four known Civil War token dies that are known to exist.
Comments
Incredible history there, @BillJones
I love the CWT die. Please put me on the waitlist should you ever wish to sell that!
Here is an AA Plastridge What Cheer Bagatelle Tables reverse die that I also believe to be from the Civil War:
It was owned by Russ Rulau, and a friend of mine owns the obverse die.
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
Great post and history Bill! Fantastic pieces. Love the die!
Very interesting - never saw one before.
"When they can't find anything wrong with you, they create it!"
I don't swim in these waters, but I can appreciate what you have posted. Something new for me. Thanks.