1857 Flying Eagle Cent 1C NGC MS63 CAC
As the first issue of small cents for circulation, the 1857 Flying Eagle Cents were coined in huge numbers for the period. Examples are thus quite common in worn condition and fairly plentiful in Mint State, as well.
Most pieces are less than fully struck. Weakness most often appears on the eagle’s head and tail, as these features were opposite the wreath and thus had to compete its the die cavity for metal fill. This date is notable for its many popular varieties.
A small number of 1857 cents were coined with an obverse die or dies taken from the hub of 1856. These are recognizable by the square inside of the O in OF and by the sharply tilted letters AM in AMERICA.
Three intriguing die-clash varieties are known in which the obverse came came into contact with dies of the quarter dollar, half dollar or double eagle.
The most often seen of these is the half dollar clash. Several doubled-die and repunched date varieties are also known for this issue. The great number of dies required to coin over 17 million pieces made such varieties nearly inevitable.
1857 EAGLE Flying Eagle Cent Value
According to the NGC Price Guide, as of June 2025, a Flying Eagle Cent from 1857 in circulated condition is worth between $25 and $525. However, on the open market 1857 EAGLE Pennies in pristine, uncirculated condition sell for as much as $11750.
