Flying Eagle Cent

1858 Flying Eagle pennies represent the second year that small cents were authorized by the U.S. While some 1,000 1856 Flying Eagle cents were also made, they weren’t struck under authorization and serve as pattern coins, indeed rare, however. The 1856 Flying Eagle cent is technically a pattern coin, but due to its popularity and large mintage (for a pattern), it has been widely collected. It has also been widely counterfeited. The original mintage of this date was estimated to be 1,000 coins but has been updated to approximately 1,500 to 2,500 coins. NGC MS-65 1857 Flying Eagle Cent, Blazing, razor-sharp piece with light toning! 22 bids Ending Feb 8 at 1:00PM PST 2d.

Flying Eagle Cents (1856-1858) America's first small-size cents During the early years of the nation, 1¢ coins were struck in pure copper and larger than a quarter. The Flying Eagle cent is a one-cent piece struck by the Mint of the United States as a pattern coin in 1856 and for circulation in 1857 and 1858. The coin was designed by Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, with the eagle in flight based on the work of Longacre's predecessor, Christian Gobrecht.

• 1857 Flying Eagle Pennies

Coin Info

1857 Flying Eagle cents were designed by James B. Longacre and debuted during the same year that their much larger cousin, the large cent, bowed its way off the U.S. Mint production line. Actually, 1857 Flying Eagle pennies aren’t the first small cents ever made. That honor belongs to the 1856 Flying Eagle cent. However, the 1,000 or so Flying Eagle pennies that were made in 1856 served as patterns and weren’t authorized as an official U.S. Mint issue. These pieces aren’t only highly rare, but they’re also not normally collected as part of the Flying Eagle and Indian Head penny sets, which consist of one-cent coins made from 1857 through 1909.

The 1857 Flying Eagle cent is made from copper-nickel and was struck to the tune of 17,450,000 pieces, with 485 additional proof strikes. Because the Flying Eagle cent is often collected as a type coin and was minted as an authorized issue for only two years, many coin collectors descend on the 1857 Flying Eagle cent and its 1858 counterpart. Today, a circulated 1857 Flying Eagle penny grading is worth around $30, and uncirculated pieces are worth around $450 and up. Proof specimens of the 1857 penny are exceedingly rare and have a value of $30,000. As with all 1856 Flying Eagle pennies, any 1857 penny in the higher grades should be purchased as a certified and authenticated specimen, since replicas and counterfeits of these early small cents are rampant.

Flying Eagle Cent

Flying Eagle Cent Roll