In 1857, the U.S. Mint produced two different Cents: the old-style Large Cent and a new, smaller cent with an eagle flying left across the obverse. One of the motivating factors for the creation of the new "Small" Cent was the high price of copper. Each new Small Cent required less than half the amount of copper than the Large Cent, yielding significant savings for the U.S. Treasury.
To introduce the new design, the Mint produced a then-record high 17,450,000 Flying Eagle Cents, making it the first Cent with a mintage over 10 million coins. Because of public and collector interest, large quantities were saved, making it very easy to find an example today. Mint State examples are quite common and are usually seen in MS-64 (and to a lesser degree in MS-63). Gems are only slightly scarce, but in MS-66 the population drops precipitously. As of July 2011, none have been graded finer then MS-66 by PCGS.
Although I think the history behind these coins is more exciting than the design itself, they are a wonderful type coin to collect. In low grade they still tend to maintain most of the design which makes them very easy to collect for all budgets. For the lower budget collector look for a nice F with a good strike. For those with a stronger budget I think these coins looks very attractive in AU.
This is an awesome coin in every grade. Some of the higher grades are worth a ton! Because the coin is mostly copper with a nice chunk of "nickel" embedded in there ..., it gives it a great feel, and the coin has a nice heaviness. Definitely fun to show off, cuz they're rarely seen. Can easily get lost in a batch of Lincolns. A must for every collection ..., and you can easily obtain a pretty good one for not too much money.
Verified purchase: No
For a 1857 Flying Eagle cent its not a bad looking coin, will fit in nicely with my collection.
Verified purchase: Yes
Before out Civil War, things were very different than today, however, it is fascinating to understand similarities to today - this coin can bridge both of these histories.
Verified purchase: Yes
This is a nice coin. Fits nice in my collection.
Verified purchase: Yes