New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-12-05
OLD CAMPAIGN MEDALS.
INTERESTING PRECURSORS OF THE
BADGE AND THE BUTTON.
THEIR VALUE AS ILLUSTRATING PHASES o
POLITICAL HISTORY-MR. ZABRIS-
KIE's COLLECTION.

Political Medals was .he subject of paper
which Andrew c. Zabriskie read last week be-
fore the American Numsmatic and Archaeology
tcal Society of which he is president Mr. Ia
brskie has given special attention to the polit-
ica medals OF this country and has remark
ably full collection Of them. They date back
to the year 1923, when Andrew Jackson was
elected President, the first candidate for whom
campaign medals were struck. Mr.. Zabriskie
has tried in his collecting to get together all the
old medals which were used in former cam
paigns to arouse enthusiasm for the candidates
Most of these are rare the dies having been
lost or destroyed, and in the devices and in
scrptions which they bear are preserved many
OF the old time campaign slogans which are
now almost forgotten.
The medals were the predecessors Of the pres
ent rosettes and buttons with which the market
Is flooded. II must be admitted that the change
is rot an Improvement so far as either aitlstlc
merit or interest is concerned for the scenes
pictured in The old medals and the catchy
phrases which accompanied them were usually
extremely clever. The medals have hal periods
Of popularity and other periods OF neglect. When
political excitement IN a campaign ran hieh
the outpu; OF medals was correspondinGly large
The devices at such times We're also more
vigorous ana pointed
The jackson medal one of the Oldest in Mt
Zabriskie's collection is no bigger than a nickel
five-cent piece and is made Of brass. 1t has
queer-lookine bust Of Jackson on the diverse
and on th. reverse the words, The Nations
Pride"
A large medal struck for Martin Van Buren,
ir 1886 is made Of lead. Ii has bust of Van
Buren, on the diverse, oyer which is inscribed,
M Van Buren," on the reverse is "A temple
Of Liberty. with the words "Democracy ana
Our Country"
Van Buren, figures again in one OF the Wing
medals for General Harrison in 1910, FOR IL
was quite AZ much the fashion for party I"
satirize thu opposing candidate as 10 praise It's
own. The medal referred 10 Is small one "i
brass II has IA military bust Of Harrison on
tho diverse with the inscription. "Maj-Gcn. w
H. Harrison. Born Feb g. l113' The reverse
bears picture Of a steamboat flying nag
marked ISL This scene Is entitled steam
boat Van Buren, Loco Foco Line for Salt
River Direct" The title Of the line Is the nick
name bestowed at that time 10y their opponents
upon the equal rights radical section Of IN"
Democratic party. There were various other
Harrison medals some of copper and som" OF
brass the former metal being the rarer one
Of these has the usual bust on the diverse. ana
on the reverse a spread eagle, with scroll IN
It's mouth which reads: Go II. TIP. Another
fcroll below has the corollary. come IT. Tyl'f
"Tippecanoc and Tyler. too the melodi"us cry
Of the Wings AT TINS time. is perpe'uated on
another medal. and 80, likewise, Is the fact
that this was log cabin and hard cider cam
paign" The latter truth is set forth by means
OF picture showing the traditional cabin with
an assortment Of small cider barrels lyi-g on
the ground near by
MANY MEDALS FOR CLAY
The medals made for Henry Clay were perhaps
more numerous than those for any successful
candidate One Of them is included in thc list
Of lying rnedals'-thosc which were struck be
forehand 10 commemorate an event which never
took place. 1t is Of brass, and hears an "x-
trcmely cheerful looking head Of clay, with this
confident inso ription: Henry Gay Elected
President A. H. 1911" The reverse has a pict-
ure Of Clay a youth on horseback near an
oId mill Above il IS this legend: THE Mil Boy
OF the -Slashcs. Inauguratcd March 4. lNi'. A
lead medal has "A bus, Of Clay the diverse.
and ON the reverse "A scene of factories and n
shin The picture is labelled The wealth Of a
nation is Indicated by it's industry. Another
very small lead medal has the bust and For
President the diverse. and on the reverse
the poeticai prophecy Henry Clay will carry
the Dav." Still another clay medal has on the
reverse 2 popular Wing expression Of the time,
."rhat Same Old Coon" All these medals belong
70 1874 the last Of the campaigns which Clay
made. and in which ne was defeated by james
Polk
The campaign medals issued for Zachary Tay-
Tor In 1913 were chiefly commemorative Of his
military services One Of them has on its face
a bust Of Taylor, with the inscription. Major
General Zachary Taylor born 1880" On the
hack are the words: In Honor Of the Hero OF