Abraham Lincoln Campaign Medals of 1860 and 1864
Abraham Lincoln campaign medals are small political medalets that supporters handed out and wore during Lincoln's 1860 and 1864 presidential campaigns. They are a popular and historic corner of Lincolniana, the broad field of items depicting or honoring Abraham Lincoln. Most measure roughly 19 to 31mm and were struck in brass, copper, white metal, or silver, and many were holed so they could be strung or pinned to a coat. Common circulated pieces sell for tens of dollars, while scarcer varieties, better metals, or high grade can reach the hundreds to thousands.
Key takeaways
- Abraham Lincoln campaign medals are small political medalets (roughly 19-31mm) distributed during the 1860 and 1864 presidential campaigns, struck in brass, copper, white metal, and silver, often holed for suspension.
- Common designs feature a Lincoln portrait, the railsplitter and rail-fence imagery, campaign slogans, and Union or ballot-box motifs.
- Many dies were cut by die-sinkers such as Robert Lovett Jr. and George H. Lovett, and some pieces carry a maker's mark.
- They are cataloged in the DeWitt reference as revised by Edmund B. Sullivan (cited as Sullivan-DeWitt, for example AL 1860-## and AL 1864-##); King numbers also apply to Lincolniana.
- Common circulated examples trade for tens of dollars; scarcer varieties, better metals, or high grade reach the hundreds to thousands.
What Are Abraham Lincoln Campaign Medals?
Abraham Lincoln campaign medals, usually called medalets because of their small size, are political pieces made to promote Lincoln's candidacies in 1860 and 1864. A medalet is a small medal, generally under about 32mm, that carries no denomination and was never intended to spend as money.
These pieces predate the celluloid pinback button, which took over political advertising after 1896. In Lincoln's era a supporter might wear a holed medalet on a ribbon or string, keep it in a pocket, or display it at home. Because they were produced in quantity and survived in many varieties, they remain one of the most collected categories within presidential campaign medals.
Metals, Sizes, and How They Were Worn
Most Lincoln medalets run roughly 19 to 31mm and were struck in brass, copper, white metal (a soft tin and lead alloy), or, less often, silver. Diameter and metal are two of the first things collectors record because they help match a piece to a catalog listing.
Many pieces have a small hole punched at the top, or an integral loop, so they could be suspended. A period-correct hole does not automatically hurt value, since holing was common and expected, but the presence, placement, and neatness of a hole are part of how a specific variety is described and priced.
Common Themes and Designs
The typical Lincoln medalet pairs a portrait of the candidate with a slogan or a patriotic scene. Recognizing the recurring motifs makes attribution far easier.
The most famous theme is the railsplitter. Lincoln's supporters cast him as an honest frontier laborer, and medalets often show him with a maul splitting a log or standing beside a rail fence, sometimes with wording such as a reference to the rail splitter of the West. Other common devices include a bust or profile portrait, campaign slogans, the ballot box, clasped hands, shields, eagles, and Union motifs that grew more pointed during the 1864 wartime race against George B. McClellan.
Who Made Them: The Lovett Die-Sinkers
Lincoln medalets were cut by professional die-sinkers, the engravers who carved the steel dies used to strike medals and tokens. Some pieces carry a small maker's mark, which is a strong aid to attribution.
The Lovett family of New York and Philadelphia produced many of the best-known Lincoln medalets. Robert Lovett Jr. and George H. Lovett both engraved political pieces for the 1860 and 1864 campaigns, and their names recur throughout the series. A signed die, an identifiable engraving style, or a documented die pairing can turn an anonymous piece into a cataloged variety.
How Lincoln Campaign Medals Are Cataloged
The standard reference for campaign medalets is J. Doyle DeWitt's work, later revised and expanded by Edmund B. Sullivan, so listings are commonly cited as Sullivan-DeWitt. Lincoln pieces carry an AL prefix with the campaign year, written in the form AL 1860-## for 1860 issues and AL 1864-## for 1864 issues.
A separate reference, Robert P. King's study of Lincoln pieces, produces King numbers that are also widely used across Lincolniana. When you research or buy, expect to see either or both citation styles, and always match the size, metal, and design to the catalog description rather than relying on the title of a listing alone. See the collecting medals guide for how catalog numbers anchor value and authenticity across the hobby.
| Campaign | Typical theme | Common metal | Hedged value note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | Railsplitter with maul and log | Brass | Common circulated often tens of dollars |
| 1860 | Portrait bust with campaign slogan | White metal | Modest, condition and variety driven |
| 1860 | Portrait in silver | Silver | Scarcer metal, often into the hundreds |
| 1864 | Portrait with Union or ballot-box motif | Brass or copper | Common circulated often tens of dollars |
| 1864 | Scarcer variety or high grade | Various | Hundreds to thousands |
Telling Medalets From Store Cards and Restrikes
Not every small Lincoln piece is a campaign medalet. Two look-alikes cause the most confusion: Civil War store cards and later restrikes.
Civil War store cards are a type of Civil War token, a privately made cent-sized piece from 1861 to 1864 that carries a merchant's advertising. A few use Lincoln imagery, but their purpose was commerce, not the campaign, and they name a business. Restrikes are later strikings made from original or copy dies, often for collectors, sometimes decades after the campaign. Clues to a restrike or a modern copy include a metal or finish that does not match the period, unusually sharp and unworn surfaces on a supposedly common issue, and edges or details that differ from the cataloged original. When a piece does not fit any Sullivan-DeWitt or King listing cleanly, treat it with caution.
What Are Lincoln Campaign Medals Worth?
Values span a wide range. Common circulated brass or white-metal medalets frequently trade for tens of dollars, while scarcer varieties, better metals such as silver, or high grade can reach the hundreds to thousands. There is no single price, so use recent sales of the exact variety rather than a general estimate.
As a worked example, imagine two 1860 railsplitter pieces. A common brass medalet with honest wear and a neat period hole might sell in the low tens of dollars. The same design in silver, or a scarce die variety in problem-free high grade, can command many multiples of that. To confirm current numbers, check auction archives such as those on Heritage Auctions and price guides for the specific Sullivan-DeWitt or King number, and browse dealers in the medals and tokens directory or upcoming sales in the coin auctions directory.
Authentication and Buying Advice
Buy the piece, not the story. Match size, metal, weight, and design to a catalog listing, note any maker's mark, and be honest with yourself about wear, holes, cleaning, and repairs.
Because Lincoln is heavily collected, the field attracts copies and optimistic descriptions. Favor sellers who cite a Sullivan-DeWitt or King number and show clear obverse, reverse, and edge photos. For higher-value pieces, third-party grading and authentication can add confidence, and background reading through resources like the Newman Numismatic Portal or a specialist appraiser or auction house is worth pursuing before a significant purchase or sale. The related Hall of Fame for Great Americans medals guide shows how portrait medals of Lincoln appear in other series, which helps you avoid mixing later art medals with period campaign pieces.
Frequently asked questions
Are Abraham Lincoln campaign medals rare?+
It depends on the variety. Many common 1860 and 1864 medalets survive in quantity and trade for tens of dollars, while scarce die varieties, silver strikings, and high-grade survivors are genuinely hard to find and cost far more.
Does a hole in a Lincoln medalet ruin its value?+
Not necessarily. Many medalets were made to be worn and holing was expected, so a neat period hole is often part of the variety. Later or crude holes, and holes on scarce pieces, matter more to price.
What is the difference between a Lincoln medalet and a Civil War token?+
A campaign medalet was made to promote Lincoln's candidacy in 1860 or 1864. A Civil War store card is a merchant's advertising piece from 1861 to 1864; a few use Lincoln imagery but they name a business and served commerce, not the campaign.
How do I identify who made a Lincoln campaign medal?+
Look for a small maker's mark and compare the engraving style and die pairing to catalog listings. Many well-known pieces were cut by die-sinkers such as Robert Lovett Jr. and George H. Lovett.
Which catalog numbers should I look for?+
Expect Sullivan-DeWitt numbers with an AL prefix, written as AL 1860-## and AL 1864-##, and King numbers used across Lincolniana. Match the number to the size, metal, and design rather than trusting a listing title.