Flying Eagle Cents (1856-1858)

Although large cents were produced in larger than ever quantities in the 1850s, they were becoming expensive to make, and the Mint sought to create a substitute. In that decade experiments were made to create a smaller, more convenient coin, finally culminating in 1856 with the production of the Flying Eagle cent. In that year 700 or more patterns were produced of the new cent, of a much smaller diameter, and struck in copper-nickel alloy, composed of 88 parts copper and 10 parts nickel. The work of James B. Longacre, the 1856 Flying Eagle cent was not an original design in any sense of the term. The obverse motif was taken from Christian Gobrecht's flying eagle first used on silver dollars of 1836, and the reverse, with a wreath composed of corn, cotton, and tobacco, was lifted from that used on Longacre' gold dollars and $3 pieces of 1854.

Patterns of the new design were given to congressmen, newspaper editors, and others of influence. In February 1857 the Flying Eagle cent became a reality when it was officially adopted as the new standard. Coins of this design were made for general circulation in 1857 and 1858. The motif presented difficulties in striking, particularly with regard to the head and tail of the eagle on the obverse. The heavy wreath on the reverse caused metal flow into the recesses of the die, thus taking metal away from that needed to fill up the deeper areas of the eagle motif on the obverse. Weak striking resulted.

The Mint realized that the 1856 Flying Eagle cent was becoming popular with collectors, due to its scarcity, therefore around 1858-1860, large numbers of them were restruck, perhaps somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 additional pieces, all with Proof finish.

Mint officials were interested in restriking for two reasons: First, but possibly not foremost, was in connection with the expansion of the Mint Cabinet, the official collection formed at the Mint beginning in 1838. From time to time the Mint would restrike earlier issues, or create special varieties to exchange with collectors in order to acquire pieces desired for the Mint Cabinet. Probably more important was the profit motive. Favored insiders at the Mint sold 1856 Flying Eagle cents, 1804 silver dollars, and other specially made pieces to dealers and collectors. This was done secretly for private profit. Sometimes Mint officials went to great lengths to deny that such things were going on, but the evidence of commercial transactions weighed against them. Historian Don Taxay, in his book U.S. Mint and Coinage, called the Mint at that time "a workshop for their gain," a reference to illegal profits made by officials and others who worked at the institution.