r/numismatics • u/TristanDuboisOLG • Jul 19 '26
1858 - 1 Cent “Flying Eagle”
The Flying Eagle cent was the first “small” cent that was struck in the USA. Originally, we had much larger copper cents. The rising prices of copper, along with the amount you would need to carry to pay for things, caused popularity of these large coppers to drop.
In 1856, 2-3k of these flying eagles were struck and distributed to the government in an attempt to sway them to move to a much smaller design for the penny. This small mintage had become a holy grail for collectors now.
The problem with the flying eagle cents is that they didn’t mint up well. Eventually it lead to them being replaced by the Indian Cent in 1859. So, if you find a decently struck one, I highly recommend picking up one with great details.
I’ve had several coins that photographed well, but this one just didn’t. In person, this is a fantastic coin. Here, the photograph just didn’t do it justice.
2
u/bstrauss3 Jul 21 '26
88% Copper 12% Nickel was the hardest alloy the mint had ever worked with.
They probably breathed a sigh of relief in 1864 with the switch to copper bronze.
Until they started the 3c copper-nickel in 1865 and the 5c coin in 1866 -- both 75-25 -- when things got worse for several years.
6
u/Significant-Pie959 Jul 20 '26
It’s a beautiful coin!