1866 Congressional Election


1866 CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION MEDALETS

From American Political Badges and Medalets 1789 - 1892 by Edmund B. Sullivan.
     The Congressional Elections of 1866 were conducted during one of the most agitaded periods of our national political history. The Executive and legislative departments of the government were engaged in a violent struggle ovet the issue of the method by which the seceeded states were to be returned to the Union. Andrew Johnson, the president, decided to take the issue to the people. A convention of Johnson men was held in Philadelphia in August of 1866, after which Johnson decided to "swing around the circle" by a trip to New York and the Middle West and back. The trip turned into a fiasco, the Fall elections went badly against him and before he left the presidential chair he was confronted by impeachment proceedings which failed of fruition by only one vote.

Andrew Johnson

DeWitt AJOHN 1866-4, silver?, 31mm
IMAGE NEEDED

DeWitt AJOHN 1866-4, copper, 31.2mm

DeWitt AJOHN 1866-4, white metal, 31.4mm
     
     Sullivan does not list these as the work of George H. but the following entry from The Bankers Magazine and Statistical Register, July 1873 to June 1874, does attribute these to him:
XIV. New Medals - Mr. Edward Cogan, No 408 State St, Brooklyn N.Y. offers for sale three new medals:
      1. The Memorial Medal of the Boston Numismatic and
New England Historic-Genealogical Societies etc.....
     2. The Johnson Medalet, referred to in the February Number of the Numismatic Journal. Obverse—a bust of the late President; legend, "Andrew Johnson, 17th President of the United States." Reverse—combined arms of the United States and New York City; inscription, "Public Reception and Banquet by the municipal authorities of New York City, August 29, 1866." Size — about that of the half-dollar. Number struck — silver, 5; copper, 50; tin, 75. Price—in silver, $3; copper, $1; tin, 50c. The work is done by Mr. G. H. Lovett.
    3. A Memorial Medal, designed by an alumnus of Haverford College, and executed by the well-known artist, Geo. H. Lovett, of New York. etc......
     Sullivan only list copper and white metal varieties so he either did not know of any silver examples or if only 5 were struck there may not have been any still in existence.