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Message:: [QUOTE="johnmilton, post: 7644911, member: 101855"]One of the factors that convinced 19th century collectors to buy restrikes of these political pieces was reported rarity. Here is an original strike of an 1852 Winfield Scott presidential campaign medal. This piece is holed and made of the usual white metal with was fairly soft, cheap and not intended to last very long after the election. [ATTACH=full]1314487[/ATTACH] Scott was a genuine military American hero. He fought in all of the wars from 1812 to the Mexican War. He would have fought in the Civil War if he had not become too old and fat. His "Anaconda Plan" which blockaded the South and went a long way to defeating it, was his main contribution to the war effort. Scott was the last Whig Party presidential candidate. The party was breaking over the slavery issue when he ran. In 1856, Millard Fillmore, who became president when Zachary Taylor died in office, ran as the American Party or "Know Nothing Party" candidate. Here is restrike of the medal shown previously in copper. This piece was struck circa 1860. Most of the restrikes were on white metal and were thicker than the original pieces. These copper medalets were only made in as restrikes. The was the mintage in copper was limited to 25 pieces. [ATTACH=full]1314493[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]