Two W.H. Harrison Tokens

JamesM

Sadly I know very little to anything about these and would like to know more. I have these and a few other
tokens whats the best way to find out what they are called is there a web page with photos I can look at or
any good books? I have ~20 and I do not think you guys would be happy if I posted 20 topics in a few days.

Thanks for any information you have on these.

JamesM

Well it makes me wonder if the lack of response is a good or bad thing...

coinsarefun

They are actually an entire series. They are Political, campaign medalet's. You need to pick up Rulau Unites States Tokens 4th edition.

Here are the pages from there.













Here is mine

JamesM

Wow thanks for that great information, I was wondering if they where circulated as coin in that page cleared that up for me.

BillJones

The 1840 William Henry Harrison presidential campaign issued more political tokens than any other 19th century presidential candidate. As a group his tokens are very common although there are some rare varieties.

The Harrison “log cabin and (hard) cider” campaign was really the first modern presidential canvas. The Whig Party pulled out all the stops to get the people to the polls to vote for their man, including a lot of myths and half truths. For example it was said the Harrison lived in a log cabin and drank hard cider, while in reality he was a rich landowner who lived in a mansion who had a taste for fine wine. His father was a wealthy Virginia plantation owner who signed the Declaration of Independence. The Whigs also trumped up his military record, although he was probably a competent, but not a great, general.

At any rate something like 85% of the eligible voters (men only in those days) cast ballots in the 1840 presidential election. Today only little over 50% of the voters actually vote.

Here are a couple of Harrison medalets you won’t see very often. This one was struck over an 1838 large cent with the under type showing. The variety has been attributed to the 1836 campaign when Harrision also ran for president, but this piece proves that at least some of them were made after that date. It is modeled after a gold medal that Congress voted to give to Harrision for his leadership during the Indian wars.



Here's another medalet shows Harrison sending his opponent, Martin Van Buren, up “salt river” (to political oblivion) after the election.

fastfreddie

Dumb question. Was wearing it around one's neck a check to see if they were registered to vote? Why would you hole this and put around your neck or something? Was it fashionable for the day?

Thanks.

BillJones

Think of it as like the pin back buttons that people wore in 1960 and earlier. People pinned these pieces to their coats, shirts or dresses to show their political opinions. Yes, even though they could not vote, the ladies had their opinions too. During the first part of the 19th century, ribbons were strung through the holes so that the the medalets could be worn, like this rare vareity for Martin Van Buren who ran for re-election against Harrison in 1840.




Later eagle pins like this one were used. This piece is from 1888 when Benjamin Harrison (William Henry's grandson) defeated Grover Cleveland.



Here is the reverse which celebrated the 100th anniversary of the inauguration of George Washington.

LotsoLuck

As always BillJones, thank you for sharing your pieces and knowledge.

fastfreddie

Thank you Bill. I got it now. Kind of like the GAR partial medal I bought here on the BST that I affixed to my overcoat. GAR veterans wore these with ribbons and other medals over their hearts to show support for the Grand Army of the Republic.

Pistareen

I've always loved the WH Harrison series, but they're not avidly collected -- this means that someone who was interested could assemble a collection inexpensively.

The Rulau book includes some of these, but the best reference on political medalets is the Dewitt book on American Political Badges and Medalets. A later edition of this bears the name of an editor, Sullivan, as author, by J. Doyle Dewitt wrote it. Every variety of 1840 Harrison medalet is included therein.

The Dewitt - Sullivan book is out of print but available from numismatic literature dealers. I use mine all the time, for everything from Washington Inaugural buttons to Benjamin Harrison medalets from the election of 1888.

Bill -- Great piece struck on a large cent! Very cool. I once had that variety in silver -- a super-rarity that I think I sold for all of about $300.