1859 Political 31mm DEWITT-SL-1859-1 White Medal John Brown NGC UNC Details

CVC & Collectables presents this 1859 John Brown Political Medal, cataloged as DeWitt-SL-1859-1, a powerful and historically charged 31mm white metal political issue. Struck shortly after John Brown’s infamous raid on Harpers Ferry, this medal served as a politically loaded commentary on one of the most controversial abolitionists of the 19th century. It reflects the intense national division over slavery and Brown’s execution later that year.

Medal Highlights:

• Issuer: Political (unsigned private issue)
• Date: 1859
• Reference: DeWitt-SL-1859-1
• Subject: John Brown
• Composition: White Metal
• Diameter: 31 mm
• Edge: Plain
• Strike Type: Medallic

Obverse:

• Design: Bust of John Brown facing left, wearing a jacket and bow tie.
• Inscription: JOHN BROWN OF OSSAWATOMIE

Reverse:

• Design: A raised gallows with rope, commemorating Brown’s impending fate.
• Inscription: EXECUTED AT CHARLESTOWN VA DEC. 2, 1859

Collectibility:

The DeWitt-SL-1859-1 medal is highly sought after by collectors of political Americana, abolitionist history, and Civil War-era material. Surviving examples in white metal are scarce, especially problem-free pieces with intact surfaces. As one of the few 19th-century medals to directly reference a historical execution, it remains a potent and controversial relic of a deeply divided nation.