The Flying Eagle Cent (1856–1858) was the first “Small Cent” ever struck by the US Mint. Designed by James B. Longacre, its brief run makes it a favorite for type set collectors. This section details the elusive 1856 “Pattern” issue and the subtle differences between the 1858 Large and Small Letters varieties.
The Flying Eagle Cent marked a radical shift in American coinage. By 1856, the cost of producing Large Cents exceeded their face value, leading the Mint to experiment with a smaller, 88% copper and 12% nickel “white cent.” The design, featuring a majestic eagle in flight, was taken from James B. Longacre’s work on the $20 Gold Double Eagle.
Collector’s Note: The 1856 Flying Eagle is technically a pattern coin, but it is traditionally collected as part of the series. With only about 2,000 struck, it is a blue-chip rarity. For the 1858 issues, collectors look for the “Large Letters” vs. “Small Letters” varieties. Because of the hard copper-nickel alloy, these coins are often found with weak strikes in the eagle’s tail feathers.
The Flying Eagle Cent is the pivot point of American numismatics. Introduced in the mid-1850s, it signaled the end of the massive, pure-copper Large Cents that had been the standard since 1793. For the collector, this series is a compact masterpiece—spanning only three official years (1856–1858) but containing one of the most famous rarities in…