An 1844 Polk Medalet – Pretty ugly, but also pretty rare

[BillJones]

 

James K. Polk presidential campaign medalets are rare. Among late 19th century collectors, the scope and quality of a political medalet collection was measured by number Polk and Cass (the Donkey Party candidate who ran for president in 1848) that were in the collection. If a collector a few of those pieces, other collectors viewed his holdings with added respect.

 

Polk and Cass items are rare because the Donkey Party expressly discouraged its supporters from issuing “campaign trinkets” and other objects that were insulting to the intelligence and dignity of the people. This was in reaction to the 1840 presidential campaign when the Whig Party inundated the electorate with many thousands of tokens and medals that depicted their candidate William Henry Harrison. Although most Polk supporters heeded this call, there were a few medalets issued for the Polk campaign, and all of them are very scarce to rare.

 

This piece, which DeWitt/Sullivan listed as JP 1844-1, was the first jugate. A jugate is a political piece that shows images of the presidential and vice presidential candidates on a single side of the item. I don’t how many of these pieces have survived, but I would be surprised if the total population exceeded 25 or 30. All of them were struck on white metal which was very prone to corrosion (a.k.a. tin pest), and those are the dark spots that you see on this piece.

 

I purchased this piece from a political button auction. It did not generate much interest, and I was the only bidder. I didn’t exactly steal it however, because there was a minimum, but the price was fair IMO.

 

Polk’s opponent in this election was Henry Clay, the old warhorse from the Whig Party who spent all of his political life trying to be elected president. This was his final run for the roses although he continued to be available until the day he died. In 1848, after he failed to win the Whig Party nomination, one of his supporters issued this token that featured the famous quote, “I’d rather be right than president.”

 

 

In 1848 the Donkey Party again urged their supppoters not insult the people with campaign trinkets. That year they ran Lewis Cass, and because only the second Donkey Party presidential candidate to lose an election from 1800 to 1856. After that loss, the Donkey Party people figured that "campaign trinkets" were not THAT insulting after all.

[123cents]

Cool medals and a great history lesson.

[MarkFeld]

Bill, since I have picked on others recently for the same thing, to be fair, I must say "wrong forum".? Numismatic Tangents, perhaps?

[BillJones]

I have always posted these items with their history here. If peoply don't care for that, I can move to them tangents area. NGC does slab these things like coins. "Tangents" seems like the place for items that have nothing directly to do with coins, tokens or medals.

 

The trouble is most collectors spend their time here. So if you want it to get much traffic this is the place to put it,

[TomB]

This is very cool, Bill. Was the Polk medalet produced very poorly at time of issue from rusted dies or are all those tiny raised spots on the piece actually tin pest?

 

For those not aware of tin pest, this is the real name of a chemical reaction that takes place at or slightly below room temperature that results in a change in state of tin from the familiar white metal to a grey powder. Essentially, tin can disintegrate at temperatures a bit lower than typical room temperature.

[MarkFeld]

I have always posted these items with their history here. If peoply don't care for that, I can move to them tangents area. NGC does slab these things like coins. "Tangents" seems like the place for items that have nothing directly to do with coins, tokens or medals.

 

The trouble is most collectors spend their time here. So if you want it to get much traffic this is the place to put it,

Bill, my thinking (which someone will probably will disagree with) is, since there is a numismatic tangents forum in addition to the US coins forum, items other than US coins belong on the tangents (or another) forum. And while I understand/agree that there is more traffic here, when I start threads on topics other than US coins, I make an effort to do so on other forums. I enjoy your posts and will bow out of this thread now.

 

 

[jesbroken]

Thanks, Bill and TomB for the information and coin(medalet) history. Very interesting and appreciated.

Jim

[prudden]

I have always posted these items with their history here. If peoply don't care for that, I can move to them tangents area. NGC does slab these things like coins. "Tangents" seems like the place for items that have nothing directly to do with coins, tokens or medals.

 

The trouble is most collectors spend their time here. So if you want it to get much traffic this is the place to put it,

Bill, my thinking (which someone will probably will disagree with) is, since there is a numismatic tangents forum in addition to the US coins forum, items other than US coins belong on the tangents (or another) forum. And while I understand/agree that there is more traffic here, when I start threads on topics other than US coins, I make an effort to do so on other forums. I enjoy your posts and will bow out of this thread now.

 

 

You're right Mark.I'm guilty too,as you so kindly pointed out. Maybe we need a Moderator to move posts in to the correct headings.Want the job?You got my vote.Ha!!

[BillJones]

You're right Mark.I'm guilty too,as you so kindly pointed out. Maybe we need a Moderator to move posts in to the correct headings.Want the job?You got my vote.Ha!!

 

Sorry, but I've had about enough of monitors. There is one across the street who is so obnoxious I have to bite my tongue or perhaps my fingers to keep from writing something to him that get me the boot over there.

 

It is my understanding that the monitors over there are volunteers. If that’s so, they must enjoy being obnoxious, because you have to pay me well to be that big of a jerk.

 

[BillJones]

This is very cool, Bill. Was the Polk medalet produced very poorly at time of issue from rusted dies or are all those tiny raised spots on the piece actually tin pest?

 

I think that the piece is just showing its age, although some of the raised areas on the obverse around the stars are from die rust. The one mark that often appears on this variety is the die break between the faces of Polk and Dallas. That mark is on most if not all of these pieces. BTW Dallas was the man for whom the city of Dallas, Texas was named. I’m surprised that there isn’t a big Polk, Texas in the state. He had a big hand in getting Texas into the Union.

 

It is my understanding that tin pest is unstoppable and that once it starts it keeps going. I have another white metal piece that features Henry Clay. I’ve owned the piece for four and half years now, and it has not changed at all.