1858 Flying Eagle Cent - Large Letters Low Leaves FS-901

Coin Details

Description

Cataloged as FS-901 in the Fivaz-Stanton reference, this 1858 Flying Eagle cent variety features the Large Letters obverse — where the date numerals and legends are rendered in a larger, bolder font — paired with a reverse where the leaves beneath the letters "C" and "T" in CENT sit lower than their standard position on Large Letters reverses, instead matching the leaf placement typically found on Small Letters reverses. This transitional die pairing represents one of the more notable die varieties in the short-lived Flying Eagle cent series, which was produced for only three years (1856-1858) before being replaced by the Indian Head cent design. The cross-type die combination documents the practical reality of mid-19th-century Mint operations, where obverse and reverse dies were not always kept in strict matching pairs, and working dies from different hub generations could be combined when replacements were needed during production runs. James B. Longacre's Flying Eagle design, featuring a soaring eagle on the obverse and a wreath with denomination on the reverse, was the first small-format cent in American coinage history, replacing the large copper cents that had circulated since 1793. The brief production span of the Flying Eagle series means every die variety carries significance for specialists, and transitional pairings like the Large Letters Low Leaves are particularly valued because they illuminate the Mint's die management practices during a period of significant coinage format transition.

Cross References

FS-901