Flying Eagle Cent
1,119+ LuckyCoin collectors track this series
Spanning 1856 to 1858, the Flying Eagle Cent catalog contains 9 year-and-mintmark variants. Across the series, the key date is the 1857 Flying Eagle Cent at just 100 struck and the highest-value variant is the 1856 Flying Eagle Cent at up to $370,000 in top grade.
Flying Eagle Cent · All Strikes Mintage by Year
Peak 25MCombined mintage per year across every strike type (circulated, proof, and specimen) and all mintmarks.
About the Flying Eagle Cent
The Flying Eagle Cent was first issued by the United States Mint in 1856, and is the first small-size cent in U.S. history (previous U.S. cents were much larger than their modern counterparts). These coins were created in response to the rising price of copper, as the US Government was looking for a cost-effective way to produce coins. The Flying Eagle Cent was designed by Chief Engraver James B. Longacre.
The obverse of Flying Eagle Cents features an eagle in flight, with its wings outstretched. The reverse of the coins features a wreath of corn, cotton, and wheat, surrounding the phrase “One Cent” in the center. The Flying Eagle Cent was designed to be smaller than its predecessor, the Large Cent, in an effort to make it easier to mint more coins from less metal. As a result, these coins are smaller than most modern day pennies, measuring 17.5 mm in diameter.
The Flying Eagle Cent was struck for only three years, from 1856 to 1858, for a total of 89 million coins. Of those, only 3.2 million were minted with the “Small Letter” variety, making them some of the most sought-after and valuable coins in American numismatics. The Flying Eagle Cent is an important piece of U.S. numismatic history, and is a must-have for any coin collector.
Looking for coins from a specific year across every denomination? Browse US coin values by year →
Which Flying Eagle Cent coins do collectors actually own? See the 2026 rarity & ownership report →
Frequently Asked Questions
- When was the Flying Eagle Cent minted?
- The Flying Eagle Cent was minted by United States from 1856 to 1858.
- How many Flying Eagle Cent coins were minted?
- Across every year and mintmark, approximately 42,052,900 Flying Eagle Cent coins were struck.
- What is the Flying Eagle Cent made of?
- The Flying Eagle Cent is made of copper-nickel (.880 copper, .120 nickel), weighs 4.67 grams, and measures 19 mm in diameter.
- How much is a Flying Eagle Cent worth?
- Value depends on year, mintmark, and condition. Common dates in average circulated condition trade for near face value, while the rarest varieties in top grade can fetch up to $370,000. See individual year pages for grade-by-grade estimates.