Judging by the legend on the reverse, it is a bronze medallion commemorating one of his major campaign speeches en route to his initial stay in the White House. It seems to be in great condition. How large is it, and how did you come to acquire it?
This is not mine, (YET!) I would like to know more about it before I commit to the purchase. It is advertised as German Silver if that helps in any way. Any guesses as to a value?
According to one of the on-line encyclopedias, "German silver" is a: Medal values are greatly influenced by some of the same factors as coins - metallic compositions, rarity, demand and condition. Additionally: The value of work by recognized sculptors or medallic artisans is also affected by the artistic worth of the article and the reputation of the medalist. The value of historical medallic pieces is primarily affected by the significance of the event, as perceived by collectors. A contemporary medal about the Gettysburg Address would probably be worth more than this one and a medal about one of the many Lincoln-Douglas debates would probably be worth less. I don't collect medals or Lincolnania, so I couldn't even begin to guess how much this one is worth , except to note that metallic composition is not a factor.
I checked and could not find this item listed in any of my reference books. I have some outdated (as is the case for most exonumia) generic values. This is from a 1992 ref. that lists Abraham Lincoln political tokens (1860, 1864) as having a price range of $15-$35. Today, those values are somewhat low as such items can easily bring double or more of that range. Ferrotypes, which yours is not, were valued in the $175-$250 range. The design does not look to be from the 1860's era IMO. I can not read the two dates from your pic, but I am thinking that it is likely a centennial of his birth (1809-1909) rather than his birth/death years. If it is a centennial piece, I would guestimate its value at $10-$30 in XF and $25-$75 in Unc. German silver is typically a more desirable piece than a copper variety, but much less so than an actual silver piece. Hope that helps a little.
Thanks for the info, here is more about it. The obverse features the bust of Lincoln surrounded by the legend : 1809-1909 BORN FEB. 12, 1809 ASSASSINATED BY BOOTH APR. 14, 1865 . The reverse reads : ON TUESDAY EVENING FEBRUARY 27TH 1860 HE DELIVERED AN ADDRESS AT COOPER UNION NEW YORK. There is another one very similar to it as well made out of brass. It has the same obverse. It features the bust of Lincoln surrounded by the legend: 1809-1909 BORN FEB. 12, 1809 ASSASSINATED BY BOOTH APR. 14, 1865. The reverse declares: THE WHIGS ELECTED HIM TO CONGRESS IN 1846. Does this shed any more light?
Yup! It's part of a series, possibly issued on the 100th anniversary of his birth, highlighting various important events in his life; or maybe by some commerical enterprises like the Readers Digest or Shell Oil as advertising pieces. Many companies did things like that in the early and middle years of the last century. Take your choice. (Good eye cwtokenman. )
