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.
