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1858 1C Small Letters MS66 NGC. The 1858 is the final 1858[1C] Small Letters MS66 NGC.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1858 1C Small Letters MS66 NGC. The 1858 is the final 1858[1C] Small Letters MS66 NGC.
<B>1858<1C> Small Letters MS66 NGC.</B></I> Low Leaves, Closed E. The 1858 is the final production date of this short-lived Small Cent type. We have not found an acceptable explanation for the brevity of this series, but Breen (1988) asserts that poor striking quality was at the root of the Mint Director's decision to abandon the Flying Eagle design. The mint produced 24.6 million Small Cents in 1858. There are two types, the Large Letters and the Small Letters. As the latter was introduced in the middle of the year, neither of these varieties commands a significant premium in circulated and lower Mint State grades. At the MS66 level, however, the edge for rarity goes to the Small Letters variety. The current certified population for the Small Letters variety in MS66 is only 20 coins, and there are none finer (11/05).<BR> An exquisite copper-nickel cent, both sides display a vivid, reddish-golden appearance. The strike is well above average for the type, being full over nearly every feature. There are no abrasions to speak of, only a couple of incidental carbon flecks in the left obverse field. Some minimal die rotation is also noted.