Today I will be talking about flying eagle cents. Flying eagles were a result of the increasingly unpopular large cents in the 1840s because of the fact that they weren't legal tender (only silver and gold coins were legal tender in the United States) and because of this they were refused at most places or accepted at a huge discount which was even worse. By 1851, it was costing the Mint $1.06 to strike one dollar in 1-cent coins, they were losing money by making them! The diameter of the 1-cent coin was based off of British penny denomination (which is probably why some people still call our one-cent coins "pennies" which is technically incorrect). Because of the increasing price of minting large cents, experimental cent patterns and various proposals for different metal compositions for a Small Cent began to be explored. As blanks for large cents became not only expensive, but also almost unavailable, Mint Director James R. Snowden decided to strike a Small Cent of 88% copper and 12% nickel at a weight of 4.67 grams (Large Cents have a weight of 10.89 grams and are composed of pure copper beginning in 1795). 

The flying eagle design appearing on the reverse of the Gobrecht Silver Dollars of 1837-1839 was adopted by Snowden for the new Small Cent coins obverse, while the wreath on the reverse of the new Small Cents was borrowed from the reverse design on the Gold Dollar and the $3 coin denominations designed by James B. Longacre. Snowden ordered about 1000 1856 Flying Eagle Cents to be struck without official authorization. Therefore, from a legal standpoint, all 1856 Flying Eagle Cents may be considered illegally struck and issued (as with the 1804 Silver Dollar and the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel). However, the Secret Service probably never will, but would have the legal right too seize these coins. Unlike the 1856 issue, that of 1857 is officially authorized. The 1857 Flying Eagle Cents were very popular with the public and saved in large quantities. They were so popular, the Mint set up booths in the Mint yard to sell the coins to the public. Thanks for reading my blog! I hope you learned as much as I did writing it. 

Source-PCGS CoinFacts