1856 1C Flying Eagle MS(PCGS#2013)

December 2020 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

1144

等级

MS64

价格

149,435

详细说明

Classic 1856 Flying Eagle Cent 1856 Flying Eagle Cent. Snow-9. MS-64 (PCGS). OGH. This is a beautiful example of the historic and perennially popular 1856 Flying Eagle cent. Warmly toned in deep golden-bronze patina, both sides also reveal flashes of pinkish-rose iridescence. The fields are subtly semi-reflective with the finish otherwise satiny in texture. The strike is universally sharp, and the surfaces are pleasingly smooth. A handsome coin that will be just perfect for a high end collection. The 1856 Flying Eagle cent was first prepared as a pattern in late 1856 and early 1857 to illustrate the new small size cent in copper-nickel composition. These coins were envisioned as replacements for the costly large copper cents first struck in 1793. Later in 1857, and continuing through at least early 1860, the Mint struck additional examples. The earlier strikings were meant for distribution to Congressional leaders, Mint personnel and others in government posts, but by 1859, if not late 1858, Mint Director Colonel James Ross Snowden was striking 1856 Flying Eagle cents expressly for distribution to contemporary collectors. According to Rick Snow, the 1856 Flying Eagle cent had become so popular during the late 1850s that prices soon reached $2 per coin, sparking the nation's first coin collecting boom. Snow-9 is the most frequently encountered die marriage of this classic issue, accounting for the vast majority of Proofs struck for collectors from 1856-dated dies circa 1859. The exact striking period for these coins is unknown, and production may have begun as early as 1858 and likely continued into 1860. We also do not know how many 1856 Flying Eagle cents were prepared during this later striking period. The coins were not part of a regular issue and the mintage was not reported by Mint personnel. Most of the coins that Director Snowden began selling to collectors in 1859 were struck in Proof format and the number extant suggests a mintage on the order of 1,500 pieces. This coin is housed in a old style PCGS holder with a grade of MS-64 that classifies it as a circulation strike. In more recent years, however, PCGS has been certifying 1856 Flying Eagle cents from the Snow-9 die pairing as Proofs. Provenance: From the Larry H. Miller Collection. PCGS# 2013. NGC ID: B2CX. Click here for certification details from PCGS.