1840 William Henry Harrison Campaign Medal. DeWitt-WHH 1840-1. Silver. 43.7 mm. 567.9 grains. Extremely Fine. With original integral hanger ornamented with a tiny finial. Engraved on the plain reverse rim in fine cursive to ANNA MATILDA GROOME at the lower left, EASTON MD at the lower right. Medium to dark gray silver on both sides. Small areas of faint hairlines are noted on both sides, while the reverse is gently accented by pale blue mottling. This type is the first listed in Sullivan-DeWitt for the 1840 campaign of William Henry Harrison, a campaign that proved a game-changer where circulation of medallic campaign ornaments is concerned. Sullivan sums it up like this in his brief introduction to the Election of 1840:<em>"Probably no more exciting presidential campaign ever occurred in this country than the Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign of 1840. The country was taken by storm with parades, log cabins on wheels and on street corners, cider parties, song fests, live coons, huge balls rolled from once city to another, and buttons, badges, sashes, lithographs, jewelry, and hundreds of other trinkets. Likewise, the medal and token makers were active to an unprecedented degree."</em><em></em>This first entry for Harrison is perhaps the most desirable for its size and design. It was originally issued in white metal for the Young Mens Harrison Convention, held in Baltimore on May 4, 1840, a Whig rally intended to generate support among young voters. It is quite rare. We have only four examples in our online archives dating back to 2006 and this is the only one we have ever heard of in silver, or with an integral hanger.The original design had stars around the reverse rim which seem to have been planed down on this piece to allow for the noted inscription. The inscription itself allows us to date this modification reasonably well and, likely, to identify the young man who had it done. Anna Matilda Groome was married to Philemon Henry Feddeman on November 25, 1840, so we know this piece was made while she carried her maiden name, prior to this wedding date, and after the May 4, 1840 rally for which this was struck. Most likely, it was a gift from her fiancé, but this is naturally uncertain.This piece has been off the market since we sold it in our (Bowers and Ruddys) March 1981 presentation of Part IV of the famed Garrett Collection, and there was no further provenance given at the time beyond the suggestion that the family might have acquired it privately, from a local dealer. A fantastic political medal. From our (Bowers and Ruddys) sale of the Garrett Collection, Part IV, March 1981, lot 2008. Lot tags included.
