You’ve probably seen them in high-end auction catalogs or dusty museum cases. Small, circular, and often slightly tarnished. To a casual observer, an abraham lincoln campaign button looks like a simple trinket. But honestly? These little things were the high-tech disruptors of the 1860s. Before Lincoln, people mostly knew what a candidate stood for through long-winded newspaper editorials or by standing in a muddy field for four hours to hear a speech. You didn't really see the man. Lincoln changed that. Well, technically, the daguerreotype and the ferrotype changed that, and Lincoln was just the first politician to realize that his face was a brand.
Politics was local back then. If you lived in rural Pennsylvania, Abraham Lincoln was just a name from Illinois. People heard he was tall. They heard he was "homely." There were even rumors he was "ghastly" to look at. By putting his face on a wearable button, the 1860 campaign brought the candidate into the voter's personal space. It was the nineteenth-century version of a viral Instagram post.
The Ferrotype Revolution and the 1860 Election
Most people think of "buttons" as the celluloid pins we see today. You know, the ones with a safety pin on the back. But in 1860, that technology didn't exist. If you wanted to wear an abraham lincoln campaign button, you were likely wearing a ferrotype.
A ferrotype—often called a tintype—was basically a photograph on a thin sheet of enameled iron. It was sturdy. It was cheap to produce. Most importantly, it was real. These weren't stylized woodcut drawings that made every politician look like a generic Roman statue. These were actual images of Honest Abe. The most famous ones utilized the 1860 portrait taken by Mathew Brady in New York. You’ve seen it. It’s the one where he looks dignified but approachable, his collar slightly tall to hide his long neck.
These buttons weren't just tossed out for free at rallies like they are now. They were sold. People paid hard-earned money to pin Lincoln to their lapels. It was a commitment. Imagine the social pressure of walking into a tavern in a "border state" wearing the face of a man who many thought would tear the Union apart. It wasn't just fashion; it was a physical manifestation of one's political identity during the most volatile period in American history.
Why the 1864 Buttons Look So Different
By 1864, the vibe had shifted. The country was bleeding. The Civil War was dragging on, and Lincoln wasn't just a "rail-splitter" anymore; he was the Commander in Chief. If you look at an abraham lincoln campaign button from the second election, you'll notice he looks older. Much older. The war had etched deep lines into his face, and the campaign didn't try to hide them.
They leaned into it.
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The 1864 buttons often featured Lincoln alongside his running mate, Andrew Johnson. These are known as "jugate" buttons, showing two portraits side-by-side. Collectors go absolutely nuts for these today. They were often encased in ornate brass frames, sometimes with a hole punched at the top so they could be worn as a pendant or a watch fob.
Interestingly, these weren't just for men. While women couldn't vote yet, they were huge drivers of political culture. They wore these buttons as brooches. They used them to signal where their families stood while their husbands and sons were off at the front. It’s a nuance that a lot of history books skip over, but the visual culture of the 1864 election was incredibly inclusive of non-voters who still wanted a "say" in the national narrative.
Spotting the Fakes and Modern Reproductions
If you find an abraham lincoln campaign button in your grandmother’s attic, don't quit your job just yet. The market is flooded with reproductions.
In the early 20th century, particularly around the 1909 centennial of Lincoln’s birth, companies started churning out "commemorative" buttons. They look old. They are old—over a hundred years old in some cases—but they aren't campaign buttons.
How do you tell? Look at the back.
- Real 1860s ferrotypes: Usually have a simple brass frame. The image is on metal, not paper. There is no safety pin. Usually, there's a small hole for a string or a primitive straight pin.
- Celluloid fakes: If it has a plastic-like coating over a paper image, it’s almost certainly from after 1896. Celluloid wasn't used for campaign pins until the McKinley era.
- The "Cracker Jack" pins: In the mid-20th century, prizes in snack boxes often included tiny metal buttons with presidents on them. These are common and worth maybe five bucks.
Authentic 1860 Lincoln buttons can fetch anywhere from $500 to over $10,000 depending on the condition. The "donut" style buttons—where the photo is set inside a ring of brass with the candidate's name stamped into the metal—are the Holy Grail for collectors like Hake’s Auctions or Heritage Auctions.
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The Psychology of the Pin
Why did this work? Why did a tiny piece of metal help win an election?
It’s about intimacy.
In 1860, the Republican party was still the "new kid on the block." They were seen as radicals. By circulating thousands of these buttons, they humanized Lincoln. It’s hard to claim a man is a monster when his calm, steady eyes are staring back at you from your neighbor's coat. It bridged the gap between the "myth" of the politician and the reality of the human being.
We do the same thing today with stickers and social media avatars. We're just using pixels instead of iron plates. But the intent is identical: "I am part of this tribe, and this is my leader."
Value, Rarity, and the Collector's Market
If you’re looking to start a collection, you have to be careful. Honestly, it’s a minefield.
The most valuable abraham lincoln campaign button examples are those with unique slogans. Most just say "Lincoln and Hamlin" or "Lincoln and Johnson," but some local versions were produced with specific regional appeals. Condition is everything. Because ferrotypes are made of iron, they rust. If moisture got under the emulsion 160 years ago, the image will have "bubbles" or "crazing."
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A pristine image—where you can see the individual hairs of Lincoln's beard (which he grew between the 1860 election and his inauguration)—is incredibly rare. Most are scratched, faded, or dark. But even a "ugly" authentic button holds a piece of the American soul. It was there. It may have been worn at the Gettysburg Address. It may have been in the pocket of a soldier at Antietam.
What to Look For:
- Mounting: Is it a pin-back, a shell, or a simple disc?
- Material: Is it a ferrotype (metal photo) or an ambrotype (glass)? Glass ones are exceptionally rare and fragile.
- Symmetry: Many 1860 buttons were "double-sided," showing Lincoln on one side and his VP Hannibal Hamlin on the other.
- Patina: Real brass from the 1860s doesn't look like shiny gold; it has a deep, chocolatey or mustard-colored oxidation.
Actionable Steps for Aspiring Collectors
If you're fascinated by the history of the abraham lincoln campaign button, don't just go buying things on random auction sites. You’ll get burned.
First, join the American Political Items Collectors (APIC). They are the gold standard for authentication and have been around since the 1940s. They have specialized "checklists" that help you identify which buttons are known originals and which are 1920s-era "fantasy pieces."
Second, visit the Smithsonian National Museum of American History or the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield. Seeing the scale of these items in person changes your perspective. They are much smaller than you think—often no bigger than a dime.
Third, if you're buying, ask for a "light test." If you hold a suspected ferrotype up to a strong light at an angle, you should see the physical texture of the image on the metal. If it looks perfectly flat and printed like a modern magazine, walk away.
Finally, recognize that owning one of these isn't just about "investing." It’s about stewardship. You’re holding a physical object that helped navigate the United States through its darkest hour. That’s worth more than the scrap metal it’s printed on.
Start by scouring reputable auction houses rather than flea markets. While the "flea market find" makes for a great story, the reality is that most 19th-century political ephemera has already been cataloged by experts. Focus on the 1860 "rail splitter" imagery if you want the most iconic version of the Lincoln brand. Look for pieces that haven't been "cleaned"—collectors hate it when people polish off a century of history. Keep your acquisitions in archival-safe, PVC-free flips to prevent further oxidation. History is fragile; handle it accordingly.