918

1856 Flying Eagle Cent

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:7,500.00 USD Estimated At:15,000.00 - 16,000.00 USD
1856 Flying Eagle Cent
<Our item number 107291><B>1856 Flying Eagle Cent. PCGS graded Proof 63 PQ.</B> Snow-9. Nicely toned and well struck. The Snow-9 variety is most easily identifiable by the faint die line through the U in UNITED down to the eagle&#39;s beak, this variety is by far the most frequently encountered of the various 1856 Flying Eagle Proof die marriages. It is believed that Proofs from this variety were produced from late 1857 through 1860, possibly as demand from Congressmen and learned coin collectors encouraged wider distribution of the novel new small cent. This is a nicely mirrored example that has a gorgeous overlay of honey-tan patina on each side with a hint of blue-steel iridescence. A well-balanced coin, the main devices are fully struck in all areas, as one expects, and there are only the slightest surface flaws that separate this coin from a technical Proof 64 grade <B>&#40;PCGS # 2037&#41;</B>. <BR><BR>On the silver dollars of 1836, 1838 and 1839, and this copper-nickel cent coins in 1856 is the portrai t of an American eagle which was for many years a familiar sight in the streets of Philadelphia. &#34;Peter,&#34; one of the finest eagles ever captured alive, was the pet of the Philadelphia Mint, and was generally known as the &#34;Mint bird.&#34; Not only did he have free access to every part of the Mint, going without hindrance into the treasure vaults where even the treasurer of the United States would not go alone, but he used his own initiative in going about the city, flying over the houses, sometimes perching upon lamp posts in the streets. Everybody knew him, and even the street boys treated him with respect. The government provided his daily fare, and he was as much a part of the Mint establishment as the superintendent or the chief coiner. After is death, in stuffed form Peter is today on view in the lobby of the Philadelphia Mint on Independence Square. <BR>Estimated Value &#36;15,000-16,000. <BR><BR>Our item number 107291<BR><IMAGES><P ALIGN="CENTER"><IMG SRC="http://gold bergcoins.net/liveauction/39jpegs/107291.jpg"> <BR><IMG SRC="http://goldbergcoins.net/liveauction/39jpegs/107291N2.jpg"> </P></IMAGES>