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The 1856 Flying Eagle Cent – Not Cleared for Take-OffThe 1856 Flying Eagle Cent was the first US small cent to circulate. However, it reached circulation without authorization.There are other coins like this: the 1804 Silver Dollar and the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, to name two. Technically, the US Secret Service could confiscate any of these pieces, though this is not considered likely.
Large Cents and Small CentsThe story begins with the large cents that had been coined since 1793. Since the 1840’s complaints were forthcoming about the inconvenience of these coins due to their size relative to their purchasing power. As time wore on, it made less and less sense to carry around a pocket full of heavy copper coins, each worth only a penny.By the 1850’s, the mint was spending up to $1.06 to produce one dollar in the large cents. By 1856 the mint had designed several small cents. Mint Director Snowden struck off 1,000 pieces of a small cent that featured a gracefully flying eagle on the front. This was the legendary 1856 Flying Eagle penny that every penny collector learns of in their first year of collecting. Seeing if the Flying Eagle Would Fly…Snowden planned to pass these pieces around to members of Congress who would be influential in passing the legislation needed to begin production.And Congress delivered. The Mint Act passed in February of 1857 authorized production and release of the Flying Eagle Cent -- The 1857 Flying Eagle Cent – in 1857. But NOT the 1856 Flying Eagle Cent, in whether struck in 1856 or any other year. Loose ChangeThe problem was… some of the 1856 coins had gotten into circulation. And to make matters worse, some enterprising folks on the mint staff knocked of some restrikes in 1858 and 1859. (Interestingly, many of the 1856 small cents known today are rather well worn.)The 1856 Flying Eagle is, nonetheless, a rare coin, just not as rare as we thought.
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