The Flying Eagle cent is a one cent coin struck by the United States Mint from 1856 to 1858. The coin was designed by Mint Chief Engraver James B. Longacre, with the eagle in flight based on the work of Longacre's predecessor, Christian Gobrecht.
By the early 1850s, the large cent being issued by the Mint was becoming both unpopular in commerce and expensive to coin. After experimenting with various sizes and alloys, the Mint decided on an alloy of 88% copper and 12% nickel for the new, smaller cent. The use of nickel for coinage would benefit industrialist Joseph Wharton, who produced most of that metal in North America, and who was influential in Congress and at the Mint. After the Mint produced pattern coins with an 1856 date which were given to legislators and officials, Congress passed the necessary legislation in February 1857.
The new cent was highly successful, with many being issued in exchange for the worn foreign coin which had circulated in the U.S. until then. However, so many cents were soon issued that they choked commercial channels, especially as they were not legal tender and no one had to take them. The eagle design did not strike well, and was replaced in 1859 by Longacre's Indian Head cent.
Read more about Flying Eagle Cent: Inception, Preparation, Design, Release, Production, and Collecting
Famous quotes containing the words flying, eagle and/or cent:
“Only the sound remains,
the distant thump of the good elephants,
the voice of the ancient lions
and how the bells
trembled for the flying man.”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)
“Sleep softly . . . eagle forgotten . . . under the stone.”
—Vachel Lindsay (1879–1931)
“Show business is really 90 per cent luck and 10 per cent being able to handle it when it gets offered to you.”
—Tommy Steele (b. 1936)