The first presidential campaign button … from 1856!

BillJones

Showing a photograph of a presidential candidate on a button is a very common practice today. The buttons that we regard as “modern” were patented in 1894 and used extensively for the 1896 campaign which paired William McKinley against William Jennings Bryan.

William McKinley

William Jennings Bryan

Many collectors believe that the first presidential campaign picture buttons were issued in 1860. That year there were four major party candidates with the political differences between them divided along the lines that would result in the Civil War.

The picture buttons were called "ferrotypes.” The chemicals that were used to develop pictures were too strong to use on paper. Instead the pictures were printed on thin sheets of iron. Here is a set of ferrotypes for the four candidates who ran in 1860, Lincoln, Douglas, Breckenridge and Bell.

Very few collectors realize that the first ferrotype buttons were issued in the 1856 presidential campaign. The three candidates were James Buchanan, John Fremont and Millard Fillmore. Buchanan and Fillmore issued a very small number of buttons. Recently I won this Fillmore piece in an auction. It is only the fourth one I have seen offered in 30 years. The Buchanan piece is much rarer. I have only seen one in a collection.

This piece is extremely small. It is only 11 millimeters wide.

Eldorado9

Very interesting post Bill! This is the kind of content I love to see here! Thank you.

divecchia

Those are some amazing Presidential Campaign buttons!!!

Thanks for sharing them.

Donato

golden

Cool.

Coinobsessed

Very interesting.

breakdown

All very nice. The Fillmore piece is especially interesting.
Do you buy these from auction sites or EBay?

Walkerguy21D

Very interesting, Bill!

In lieu of buttons, which I see were still very new at the time I’m wondering if that’s why I see medals like this one that had a hole punched in them; for wearing to rallies and conventions?

BillJones

@Walkerguy21D said:
Very interesting, Bill!

In lieu of buttons, which I see were still very new at the time I’m wondering if that’s why I see medals like this one that had a hole punched in them; for wearing to rallies and conventions?

The tokens had a hole so that they could be worn on an article of clothing suspended on a ribbon or a string. You run into these pieces with an original looking string now and then.

The late, great token dealer, Steve Tannenbaum, told me he preferred these tokens with a hole because it was an indication that they had been used in the campaign. Token makers made tokens years beyond the election when a design had be been used during a campaign.

DCW

Interesting that the Millard Fillmore button is an actual button! Not a pin with a clasp, but something that would have been sewn into clothing.
Really cool

bennybravo

Wow! Very cool!!!