Medal token, "Perish Credit", 1834

Description:

Party symbols drawn from the natural world helped to dramatize political issues to reach 19th century Americans, including those who could not read. The donkey (also known as a jackass) as a Democratic symbol dates back to the late 1820s, when Whig attacks against Andrew Jackson rendered his name as “A. Jack-ass.” Medals illustrated with donkeys and pigs bore slogans criticizing Jackson for removing federal deposits from the Bank of the United States.

Associated Date: 1834

Associated Person: Jackson, Andrew

General Subject Association: Politics

Subject:

See more items in: Political and Military History: Political History, Campaign Collection, Government, Politics, and Reform, American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith

Exhibition: American Democracy

Exhibition Location: National Museum of American History

Credit Line: The Ralph E Becker Collection of Political Americana

Data Source: National Museum of American History

Id Number: PL.227739.1834.B03Catalog Number: 227739.1834.B03Accession Number: 227739

Object Name: Medal

Physical Description: metal, copper (overall material)Measurements: overall: 1 in; 2.54 cm

Guid: http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746a3-1476-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa

Record Id: nmah_504966

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.