The Flying Eagle Cent was the first small cent produced by the United States Mint. It had a weight less than half as much as the previous large sized cents, which had become more costly to produce than face value. After a limited number of pieces were struck as patterns in 1856 to demonstrate the format, large scale production ensued during the next two years.
The design for the series was created by James B. Longacre. The obverse features a flying eagle, which was based on the design which appeared on the Gobrecht Dollars. Inscriptions include “United States of America” above and the date below. On the reverse, is an agricultural wreath of corn, cotton, wheat, and tobacco, tied with a bow at the base. This reverse design had previously been used on $1 and $3 gold pieces.
The series was produced for circulation from 1857 to 1858. The pieces dated 1856 are sometimes considered part of the series due to the relatively high mintage for a pattern and the fact that more examples were restruck specifically for collectors. All coins were produced at the Philadelphia Mint. The mintage of the small cent in 1857 of 17,450,000 represented the highest mintage for a single coin in Mint history.
Switch from Large Cents
Around the middle of the 19th century, a problem was becoming apparent for the one cent denomination. The coins were increasingly unpopular with the public due to their bulky size and weight, and since the coins were not legal tender, they were sometimes rejected in commerce or only accepted at a discounted rate. The denomination had also become unprofitable for the Mint to produce, with a cost of about $1.06 to produce 100 cents.
After a number of different alloys and designs were considered, the solution came with the small sized Flying Eagle Cent, which had a composition of 88% copper and 12% nickel. These coins were immediately popular with the public and upon their release on May 25, 1857, thousands of people lined up outside the Mint building to exchange their foreign coinage or old large cents for the new small cents. The Mint would produce more than 40 million Flying Eagle Cents in just two years, which very quickly replaced the large cents within circulation.
Highlights and Rarities
1856 – Approximately 600 to 700 examples of the 1856 Flying Eagle Cent were struck as patterns to demonstrate the concept and design of the small cent to members of Congress and other influential people. These pieces become popular collector’s items, leading more examples to be restruck in later years and sold to collectors. While the exact mintage is unknown, it is estimated at approximately 1,500 to 2,000 pieces in both proof and uncirculated formats. While this coin is usually considered to be an important rarity, it is actually the most available pattern ever created by the United States Mint.
Mintages
| Year | Mintage |
| 1856 | Approx. 2000 |
| 1857 | 17,450,000 |
| 1858 | 24,600,000 |
Specifications
| Designer: | James B. Longacre |
| Dates: | 1856-1858 |
| Mints: | Philadelphia |
| Composition: | 88% Copper |
| 12% Nickel | |
| Weight: | 4.67 grams |
| Diameter: | 19 mm |
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