1858 Flying Eagle Cent Value

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011 at 9:09 am

1856 marked an auspicious 12 months in the history of the US Mint. From the very beginning, one cent pieces had been a staple of United States coins. Everybody knew their look and their feel. Everybody was comfy with the coin, till 1856.

Since the start of US coinage, the face of the one cent piece had featured an outline of the goddess Liberty. Admittedly, there had been a number of totally different depictions of Liberty, with each providing its coin with an fascinating name. Flowing Hair Cents were produced by the US Mint from 1793 via 1796, once they have been changed by Draped Bust Cents. The Basic Head Cent design was the design produced from 1808 by 1814 when it was changed by the Coronet Head Cent. Lastly, the Braided Hair Cent took middle stage in 1839. It was additionally referred to as the “Silly Head” or the “Booby Head” Cent. The Braided Hair Cent was produced via 1857.

People started to object to carrying around these coins. Some folks stated the coins were too giant, with a diameter of 27.5 millimeters (merchants complained that the cash “clogged up” their tills). There have been complaints that the coins were too heavy, weighing in at a hefty 10.89 grams. The general public seemed to be ready for a change in its pennies.

In 1856 the US Mint started producing a smaller, lighter one cent coin. The Flying Eagle Cent was the first of what collectors now confer with as “Small Cents” (weighing 4.7 grams with a diameter of 19 millimeters) contrasted with the one cent cash heretofore produced being dubbed “Giant Cents.”

The public didn’t just like the coin. The Flying Eagle Cent did not consist of pure copper, as had all one previous one cent coins. It was 88% copper and 12% nickel. The lighter coloration brought on the public to derogatorily confer with the new cent because the “white cent.” People weren’t happy with the design either. Although design on the obverse (or face) of James Barton Lengthy acre’s coin depicts an Eagle in Flight, individuals typically referred to the coin because the “Buzzard Cent.”

Officials at the US Mint had been embarrassed. They shortly made plans to revamp the coin. Longacre was commissioned to provide the brand new design. The Eagle was eliminated, and Liberty returned to the entrance of the one cent coin, this time wearing a Native American headdress. The Indian Head Cent stays some of the popular coins ever produced by the US Mint, whereas the Flying Eagle Cent took its place among the many coins with the briefest mintage in US history…simply two years (1857-1858).

Incidentally, for those who happen to find a Flying Eagle Cent bearing the date 1856, you’ll be nicely-advised to take the coin to an skilled to have it evaluated. The 1856 coins had been solely produced as examples to be introduced to Congress and different officers to encourage them to support the coin’s acceptance. Once the vote was taken, legislators were imagined to return the coins to the US Treasury. The coins had been supposed to be destroyed, and minting of the Flying Eagle Cent to begin in 1857.

Somehow, not all of the cash made their method back to the Mint. Evidently some of them have been stored as souvenirs by varied people. The cash’ rarity brought about their collector’s value to soar. Now, even the most mediocre specimens of the 1856 Flying Eagle Cent sell for in excess of $5,000, with the nicest of these coins anticipated to bring effectively in extra of $a hundred,000. (The Skilled Coin Grading Service lists the worth of the best grade Flying Eagles they’ve licensed as $one hundred fifty,000.) Needless to say, counterfeiters have taken note of these numbers and have taken steps to try to defraud individuals by producing and promoting fakes.

So a set of Flying Eagle Cents consists of three coins . . . the 1857, and two varieties (Large Letters and Small Letters) of the 1858. You should buy enticing specimens of all three coins for a total of lower than $200.

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