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Auction: 321 - The Numismatic Collector's Series Sale and Stocks and Bonds of the Americas
Lot: 886

U.S. 1844 Presidential Campaign: Henry Clay Silk Ribbon and paper Proof. Cf. Sullivan-Fischer HC-1. The silk only the top half showing Clay, no bootom half with his running mate Frelinghausen. Both silk and proof 3 ¾ x 2 ¾". The close 1844 election was a crucial juncture in American history - one that may have put the U.S. on an inevitable path to civil war. The "Manifest Doctrine" promoted by the Democrats was pitted against the peacemaking policies of "The Great Compromiser," Whig candidate Henry Clay. Polk defeated Clay by 1% of the popular vote, but neither candidate won a majority. The election was decided in the Electoral College where the swing state was New York, casting 36 votes. New York Electoral College votes were awarded by winner take-all, and Polk had 5,000 votes more than Clay. Matted as a pair. The Silk is toned and brittle, Very Good; the proof is Mint. Ex Early American History Auctions, August 26, 2006, lot 446.

Sold for
$200