1858 Flying Eagle Cent - Proof Small Letters

Coin Details

Auction Record

$40,250 PR65 07-01-2008 Heritage Auctions

Description

The 1858 Flying Eagle Cent - Proof Small Letters is a proof cent struck at the Philadelphia Mint, part of the Flying Eagle Cents 1856-1858 series. With a mintage of 200, this is an extremely rare issue — ranked 2nd of 6 mint variants by mintage, with less than 1% of production. The obverse features a flying eagle in mid-flight, adapted from the Gobrecht dollar reverse and the reverse displays a wreath enclosing ONE CENT. Two major varieties exist: Large Letters and Small Letters, referring to the size of the legend on the obverse. The design was replaced by the Indian Head Cent in 1859 due to striking difficulties caused by the high-relief eagle. As a proof issue, this coin was struck multiple times on specially prepared polished planchets using polished dies, producing mirror-like fields and frosted design elements prized by collectors. Struck at the original U.S. Mint facility, in continuous operation since 1792. Estimated market value is approximately $10K. Struck in 88% copper, 12% nickel, weighing 4.7 grams, 19 mm in diameter, with a plain edge. Cataloged as PCGS #2043.