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Lot 30 - 1858 Flying Eagle Cent. 8 over 7 NGC MS65

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money Start Price:15,000.00 USD Estimated At:30,000.00 - 35,000.00 USD
Lot 30 - 1858 Flying Eagle Cent. 8 over 7 NGC MS65
1858 Flying Eagle Cent. 8 over 7. Extraordinary quality for an overdate 1858 Flying Eagle Cent, a coin with characteristic sharp detail on the eagle's breast feathers as well as the key areas of the tail separation and beak, eye and nasal opening. Consistent with the sharp obverse, a reverse with equally impressive detail, including the wreath bow and upper leaves which appear at first glance to be oak leaves. The broken wingtip is a hallmark of the overdate. The traces of an underlying 7 are visible above and to right of the trailing 8. Lovely coppery orange patina throughout. NGC pop: 5, with 0 higher (12/05).

The government’s imminent approval of a statute to alter the amalgam of the Cent in 1856 left Mint Director Snowden pleading for a design to begin trial strikings without delay. The task of achieving a satisfactory product in this environment fell to James Barton Longacre. For the obverse, the designer selected a variant of the flying eagle that graced the reverse of the 1836-9 Gobrecht Pattern Dollars. Although nearly two decades old, this eagle hadn’t faded into obscurity; it had appeared on several Patterns of 1854-5. The reverse got a copy of the wreath of corn, cotton, maple, and tobacco that already appeared on Longacre’s Dollar and $3 Gold pieces. Despite the short production run of this design, the rarity and allure of 1858/7 insures that it will remain forever a part of the collecting lore and popularity. Coin is housed in NGC holder 1293313-002, and will likely become a part of a high-end set of Flying Eagle and Indian cents, or perhaps take its rightful place in a Registry set of these! (#2022)