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The United States has transformed in the 245 plus years since it declared independence. The simple horse and buggy was replaced by Model T's, Model T’s were replaced by the gas guzzlers of our youth, and those gas guzzlers became the complex hybrid-electric cars driven today by millions. Alexander Graham Bell’s single operator telephone was replaced by the touch-digit home-phones, which have since been replaced by miniature personal computers that fit into our pocket. As the country has changed, so too has our coinage – but like many things, nothing can replace the originals.
American coinage in its early days had many unique pieces that became fan-favorites among collectors. From the large cent, to the two cent, to the 'three cent nickel' -- there was no shortage of small-denomination coins. What many collectors forgot about was the first-ever 'small cent' in U.S. Minting history: the Flying Eagle.
We recently came across a small hoard of stunning Flying Eagle Cents from 1857 and 1858 -- the first and last year that these coins were struck by the United States Mint! United States.
The Original Small Cent Piece
The U.S. Mint’s Flying Eagles
This small copper coin was the first 'small cent' in U.S. history that would replace the even smaller half cent and the massive large cent that had been in use throughout the United States. Not only did this coin replace our everyday cent pieces, but it was also released during the same time frame in which the United States stopped allowing Spanish coins (as well as other foreign coins) to be circulated amongst American coinage.
The major reason for this change was that in 1856 the cost of copper had exceeded the actual denomination value of the large cent coin, which resulted in the United States Mint creating a much smaller cent to replace the 'large cent': this replacement coin eventually became our modern-day penny.
The 1857 and 1858 Flying Eagle Cents
True-Blue Pieces of U.S. Minting History & True Collecting Rarities
This special coin was only struck for three years, from 1856 to 1858. But the coins struck in 1856 were only 'pattern pieces' that were kept by the Mint. This meant the true circulating coins for collectors are the 1857 and 1858 issues.
In 1857 they only struck 17,500,000 total Flying Eagle Cents, and in 1858 they struck just 24,600,000… which might sound like a lot, but once you compare them to the first year of the Indian Head Cents in 1859 or the first Lincoln Cents from back in 1909 -- these 1857 and 1858 Flying Eagle Cents are SIGNIFICANTLY RARER.
But don’t just take our word for it – look at the numbers for yourself...
1857 Flying Eagle – 17,500,000 vs. 1859 Indian Head Cent – 36,400,000
More than 2 times rarer
1857 Flying Eagle – 17,500,000 vs. 1909 Lincoln Cent (VDB + Reg) – 100,697,618
More than 5.75 times rarer
1858 Flying Eagle – 24,600,000 vs. 1859 Indian Head Cent – 36,400,000
More than 1.4 times rarer
1858 Flying Eagle – 24,600,000 vs.1909 Lincoln Cent (VDB + Reg) – 100,697,618
More than 4 times rarer
Each of our Flying Eagle Cents are authentic, hand selected, circulated coins from 1857 and 1858, and are encapsulated in our custom protective lens.
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