Here is an unusual political piece in tin. It is a shell piece which was made from two parts that are joined together, unlike a coin or token which is struck on a sold disk. This piece is unusual. The obverse, which is mushy, has a raised cup around the sides where the reverse is dropped and sealed to make the piece. The McKinley for Ohio Governor campaign issued this piece when he was running for the office in 1891. The story behind the claim made on the reverse, "McKinley's tine bell will yearly $ 30,000,000 in America and employ 20,000 more people," has an interesting story. Like most all 19th century Republican politicians, Willian McKinley supported the protective tariff. The idea started during the early days of our country with Alexander Hamilton, Henry Clay pushed it hard, Abraham Lincoln continued to push, and McKinley kept the tradition. The idea at first was to protect "infant American industries" from foreign competition. It continued to be a Republican position even after the industries ceased to be infants. As a long time ameature economist, I oppose protective tariffs and so do most of the professionals. They benefit the companies that are protected and generally cost consumers more. It also discourages innovation for those industries that are protected. In 1888, Benjamin Harrison ran on the protectionist platform. He reached out to workers claiming that the protective tariff protected them from "British pauper wages." Harrison defeated incumbent, Grover Cleveland, because Grover was unable to win his home state, New York. The New York politicians didn't like Cleveland because he opposed corruption. During the "gilded age," many politicians thought that reaching into the public till was part of their wages. In 1890 Harrison and his supporters in Congress passed "The McKinley Tariff." It raised tariffs to almost 50%. They went too far. The high tariffs increased the cost of living more many workers, and the Republicans paid for it big time. The Republicans lost 93 seats in Congress, and McKinley was among the losers. McKinley had already been thinking about running for governor, and losing his House seat sealed the deal. He successfully ran for Ohio Governor, which gave a string board to run for president in 1896, which he won. The reverse, on the first piece, which claimed $30 million and 20 thousand jobs, was issued in defense of the policy that had probably cost him his seat in Congress. Here is an 1896 McKinley piece where he thanked the voters for electing him.
It reminds me of those chocolate coins in how it's struck. Are the halves snug, or does it have a hollowness to it?
