PRODUCT DETAILS:
1858 Flying Eagle Cent Coin - Small Letters - Good Condition
COIN HIGHLIGHTS:
- Small Letters variety, meaning the "AM" in America is separated.
- Designed by James B. Longacre.
- Composed of 88% Copper and 12% Nickel.
- The obverse shows the flying eagle design along with the coin's legend and date.
- The reverse features the words "ONE CENT" within a wreath which surrounds the perimeter of the coin's reverse.
- Coin is in Good condition.
- All coins come in protective plastic.
By the mid 1850's the mint was losing money on every Half Cent and Large Cent it struck. In 1856, a new smaller cent design was proposed to be struck in a new copper-nickel alloy. Gobrecht's Flying Eagle design, which had been used for earlier patterns, was selected for the new cent. Over 1,000 1856 Flying Eagle Cents were eventually struck with many being given to Government officials and other dignitaries. Though the rare 1856 dated examples are often included in early cent collections, they are pattern coins not regular issues. Regular production for the Flying Eagle Cent started in 1857 and continued through 1858. By 1858 the mint realized that the combination of the relatively low relief design of the Flying Eagle and the hardness of the copper-nickel alloy, often resulted in poorly detailed, weekly struck coins. In 1859, production was changed to the Indian Cent design (actually Liberty in a headdress) and the short lived Flying Eagle Cent became an instant classic!
