Ferrotypes are neither coins nor tokens, but many coin collectors acquire them when they become interested in political pieces. These were political pieces that included photographs of the presidential candidates. At a time when only a small number of Americans knew what their leaders looked like, these pieces were quite a revelation. The photos were printed on a piece of thin iron which gives these pieces their name, ferro (iron)-type. The first ferrotypes were issued for the 1856 campaign, but the idea came into its own during the 1860 presidential campaign. Here is a ferrotype that was issued by supporters of George McClellan in 1864. It is a recent purchase. This piece is a very nice example. Most of the value in these pieces is determined by the quality of the photos. If they are poor, the piece is not worth very much. George McClellan was the Union general who could never "pull the trigger." He was overly cautious on the battlefield, and it cost him. After he failed to go after Robert E. Lee's forces following the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln fired him. He was not run out of the Army, but he never got another command. McClellan's running mate was George Pendleton. He was know as "copperhead" who was looking for a negotiated peace with the South. He represented a considerable portion of the Democratic Party at the time who had similar views. The McClellan - Pendleton ticket lost by a wide margin to the Lincoln - Johnson ticket. Pendleton was a hopeful for the presidential in 1868. He ran as an advocate for the "greenback" faction who favored cheap money. His campaign did not get very far.
