The Flying Eagle cent was the first small-size United States cent, replacing the large copper cents that Americans had used since 1793. It is a short, popular series — struck as a pattern in 1856 and for circulation in 1857 and 1858 — and a one-type coin that every type-set collector needs.
Key facts
- Designed by: James Barton Longacre
- Issue dates: 1856 (pattern issue) – 1858
- Composition: 88% copper, 12% nickel
- Diameter: 19 mm
- Weight: 4.66 grams (72 grains)
- Edge: Plain
- Business strike mintage: 42,050,000
- Proof mintage: Fewer than 2,000
To create the Flying Eagle cent, Mint engraver James B. Longacre borrowed two motifs from the past. The obverse shows an eagle in flight, adapted from Christian Gobrecht’s silver dollar patterns of 1836–1839, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA above and the date below. The reverse displays a wreath of cotton, corn, wheat, and tobacco enclosing the words ONE CENT — a wreath Longacre had used earlier on the $1 and $3 gold coins of 1854. The copper-nickel alloy gave the coins a pale color, and these (along with the early copper-nickel Indian cents) were long nicknamed “white cents.”
In 1856, roughly 600 pattern Flying Eagle cents were made to help secure Congressional approval of the new small-cent format. The scarcity quickly drew collector demand, and the Mint later produced Proof restrikes — which is why the 1856 remains the famous “key” to the series. Following the Act of February 21, 1857, the small cent became law, and more than 17 million 1857 Flying Eagle cents were distributed through banks, often in cloth bags of $5 (500 coins) exchanged for old large cents and worn silver.
Coinage continued in 1858 in two main obverse varieties — Large Letters and Small Letters — plus the scarce 1858/7 overdate. Striking trouble dogged the design: the eagle’s head, upper wing tip, and tail often came up weak because the heavy reverse wreath sat opposite them in the dies. The problem led to the motif being discontinued after 1858 in favor of the Indian Head design.
For a type set, an 1857 or 1858 is readily available in grades from Fine through About Uncirculated, and Uncirculated coins appear with some frequency; truly superb Uncirculated pieces are rare. Flying Eagle cents are often collected together with Indian Head cents as a combined set. We are active buyers of Flying Eagle cents in all grades — send photos for a free, no-obligation offer.