1856 Flying Eagle Cent

AI-generated illustration — not a photograph of a genuine coin.

A pattern struck to sell Congress on the small cent: production estimates run only ~634 to ~2,000 pieces — the premier Flying Eagle rarity (Heritage; CoinWeek).

History

The 1856 is a pattern, not a regular issue: Congress did not authorize the small cent until the Act of February 21, 1857, but the Mint struck 1856-dated pieces and distributed them to legislators and officials to build support for the new coinage. (Heritage, accessed 2026-09-16)
No official mintage exists and sources conflict: Breen estimates 634 or more were struck of all varieties, while the Guide Book shows an approximate mintage of 2,000 pieces; series expert Rick Snow estimates 700 pieces from the Snow-3 dies alone. (Heritage; PCGS Europe, accessed 2026-09-16)
Snow-3 is believed to be the variety that comprised most or all of the 634 examples originally prepared for distribution to Congressional leaders, while Snow-9 is the variety used for most proofs sold to collectors circa 1858-1860. (PCGS Europe, accessed 2026-09-16)
Specifications: 88% copper, 12% nickel; 4.67 g; 19 mm; plain edge; all struck at Philadelphia with no mintmark; designed by James B. Longacre, with the flying-eagle motif adapted from Christian Gobrecht’s earlier work. (Heritage; CoinWeek, accessed 2026-09-16)

Key dates and varieties

Collected as part of the Flying Eagle and Indian cent series even though it is technically a pattern.
Snow-3 (Congressional-distribution business strikes) versus Snow-9 (most collector proofs) — attribution by Snow number matters.
Treat any single mintage number with skepticism; only the ~634–2,000 range is defensible.

Specifications

composition
designers
diameter
edge
mint
weight

Collector notes

KEY DIAGNOSTIC MARKERS: left-facing eagle in flight with the date centered below on the obverse; intricate plant wreath with ONE CENT on the reverse; copper-nickel weight 4.67 g (heavier than the later bronze cents); Snow-9 proofs show a center dot on the reverse (Heritage).
Value factors: grade, strike quality (weakness at the eagle’s head and tail is typical of the issue), originality of surfaces, and Snow-variety attribution.