1857 Flying Eagle Cent
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 17,450,000 made
- Mintage
- 17,450,000
- Metal
- 88% copper, 12% nickel
- Weight
- 4.67 g
- Diameter
- 19 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1857 Flying Eagle Cent worth?
Age alone gives this coin a small premium, even worn. Sharp details and original surfaces push it higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Full red copper color (labeled RD) rather than brown
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1857 Flying Eagle Cent rare?
- 17 million were made, which is plenty for collectors to find one.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1857 Flying Eagle Cent?
- No mint mark. All struck in Philadelphia.
- How many 1857 Flying Eagle Cent coins were made?
- 17,450,000.
What to check on your 1857
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1857 Flying Eagle Cent Proof (485 made) is the one to compare with.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at the eagle's breast and the tips of the wing feathers. The hard alloy often produced weak strikes, so a sharp coin is worth a premium.
The story of the 1857
Philadelphia ramped up hard in 1857: 17,450,000 coins, about 27524 times the 1856 run. In 1858 the figure was 25 million.
No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1857 you find is from Philadelphia.
The first small cents (1856 to 1858)
The Flying Eagle began as a pattern in 1856, when a small number were struck to show members of Congress the proposed copper-nickel cent. Many more were restruck for collectors in the following years. The Act of February 21, 1857 approved a 72 grain coin of 88 percent copper and 12 percent nickel. The public lined up at the Philadelphia Mint in May 1857 to exchange old large cents and Spanish silver for the new coins. Output was 17.45 million in 1857 and 24.6 million in 1858.
The hard alloy and high relief eagle caused trouble. Dies cracked quickly and many coins show weak eagle tail feathers and wreath leaves. The 1857 has clashed die varieties showing traces of other denominations. On 1858 large letters cents the A and M in AMERICA touch, while on small letters cents they are separated. A rare 1858/7 overdate also exists. Survivors are usually light tan to olive in color.
The 1856 Flying Eagle cents were made as patterns, an estimated 2,000 or so pieces including restrikes made for collectors in later years. They were never released for circulation, but because they are listed with the regular series the 1856 is the key to a set. The new cents were released on May 25, 1857, when crowds lined up at the Mint to exchange old large cents and Spanish silver. The 1858/7 overdate is a popular variety.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1857
The Act of February 21, 1857 ended the large cent and the half cent and introduced the small copper-nickel Flying Eagle cent. The same law ended the legal tender status of foreign coins, so Spanish and Mexican silver could be traded in for new US coins.
How to recognize it
A small copper-nickel cent showing an eagle in flight with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around it and the date below. The reverse is a wreath of corn, wheat, cotton and tobacco around ONE CENT. At 19 mm it set the size of the US cent that is still used today. The hard alloy was difficult to strike, so weak feathers on the eagle are common.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Flying Eagle Cent (1856–1858) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1857 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 17,450,000 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 88% copper, 12% nickel |
| Weight | 4.67 grams |
| Diameter | 19 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | James B. Longacre, after Christian Gobrecht's flying eagle |
Other 1857 Flying Eagle Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1857 Flying Eagle Cent | 17,450,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1857 Flying Eagle Cent Proof | 485 | Proof | – |
Mintage: United States cent mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.