Most Flying Eagle cents are worth about $30 to $50 in circulated condition. The coin was struck for circulation in only two years, 1857 and 1858.
That short run is what makes the series so collectible: a complete set takes just a handful of coins, yet one of them — the 1856 pattern — starts near $6,700 even in Good condition. This guide covers every date and variety, what each is worth in approximate terms, and the striking weakness that makes condition tricky on this design. Value ranges below are approximate and were checked on November 2, 2026; individual coins vary with grade, strike, and certification.
Flying Eagle Cent Quick Facts
The Flying Eagle cent was America’s first small cent. It replaced the big copper large cent, which had become too expensive to strike as copper prices rose, and it launched on May 25, 1857, in a famous Mint exchange event where crowds traded in old Spanish silver and large cents for the new coins. More than 40 million were struck in two years, but the hard copper-nickel alloy made the eagle hard to strike fully, and the design was replaced in 1859 by the Indian Head cent.
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Years struck | 1856 (pattern only); 1857–1858 for circulation |
| Composition | 88% copper, 12% nickel |
| Weight | 4.67 grams |
| Diameter | 19 mm — the modern cent size, introduced by this coin |
| Designer | James B. Longacre, adapted from Christian Gobrecht’s eagle |
| Mints | Philadelphia only — no mintmarks |
| Replaced by | Indian Head cent (1859) |
The pale copper-nickel alloy earned these coins the nickname “nicks” or “white cents” in circulation — the same nickname that later attached to the five-cent nickel. Because the coins were not legal tender and merchants did not have to accept them, they flooded and then choked everyday commerce, which is part of why the type lasted only two years.
Flying Eagle Cent Values by Date
Three common coins carry the series, and two rarities sit on top of it. The 1857 is the most affordable entry point because excited collectors saved the brand-new small cent by the handful in its first year, so Mint State survivors are unusually plentiful for a coin of the 1850s.
| Date / Variety | Mintage | Approximate Value Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| 1856 pattern | About 1,800 (estimated) | A presentation pattern, never issued for circulation. Roughly $6,700 or more in Good condition and $24,000 or more in MS-63 — the key to the series, and heavily counterfeited, so buy only certified examples. |
| 1857 | 17,450,000 | The common first year. Roughly $27–$30 in Good, $30–$50 for nicer circulated pieces, and about $850 in MS-63. |
| 1858 Large Letters | Part of 24,600,000 struck in 1858 | Priced about the same as the 1857 in circulated grades — roughly $27–$30 in Good and about $850 in MS-63. |
| 1858 Small Letters | Part of 24,600,000 struck in 1858 | Also roughly $27–$40 in Good, a touch stronger in high grades at about $950 in MS-63. |
| 1858/7 overdate | Variety of the 1858 Large Letters | The famous overdate, with a 7 punched under the 8. Roughly $75 or more in Good and five figures for a strong-overdate Mint State example. |
Proofs were struck in small numbers in all three years and are a separate, much more expensive market. Any proof Flying Eagle cent should be certified — genuine proofs number in the hundreds at most, and altered business strikes are common.
How Condition Drives Flying Eagle Cent Value
Grading this series starts with the strike, not the wear. The eagle’s head and tail sit directly opposite the reverse wreath, so metal could not flow into both sides at once, and many coins left the Mint with a soft head, a flat tail, or both. A fully struck Flying Eagle cent — every feather and the eagle’s eye visible — is genuinely scarce and brings a premium over a weakly struck coin of the same technical grade. In Good condition the date and lettering are readable but the eagle is mostly outline; Fine shows the wing feathers separating; Very Fine keeps most of the eagle’s detail with wear on the highest points. Color and surfaces matter as well: original, even brown surfaces are what buyers pay for, and cleaning is easy to spot on copper-nickel and cuts value sharply. The strike problem is also why the Mint abandoned the design after two years — Longacre’s lower-relief Indian Head design struck up far more reliably, a change collectors can trace through the Liberty nickel era and the rest of the small-cent story.
Shop Copper and Classic-Design Pieces
Flying Eagle cents themselves trade on the collector market, but copper in its modern bullion form — struck with classic American designs — is a staple of our in-stock inventory:
Checked November 2, 2026: both products above were in stock at the time of writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Flying Eagle cent worth?
Most Flying Eagle cents are worth about $30 to $50 in circulated condition. The common 1857 and 1858 dates start near $27–$30 in Good condition, while the rare 1856 pattern starts near $6,700 in the same grade.
What is the rarest Flying Eagle cent?
The 1856 Flying Eagle cent is the rarest coin in the series. Only about 1,800 were struck as presentation patterns, and examples are worth roughly $6,700 or more even in Good condition.
Are Flying Eagle cents made of silver?
No. Flying Eagle cents are 88% copper and 12% nickel, with no silver or gold content at all — their value is entirely numismatic.
How can you tell an 1858 Large Letters from a Small Letters?
Look at the lettering in UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and at the AM in AMERICA. On the Large Letters variety the letters are bolder and the A and M touch; on the Small Letters variety the letters are smaller and the A and M are separated.
Why did the Flying Eagle cent only last two years?
The Flying Eagle cent only lasted two years because the hard copper-nickel alloy made the design difficult to strike and the coins were unpopular in commerce. The Mint replaced it with the Indian Head cent in 1859.
Educational content only — not financial advice.