1858 Flying Eagle Cent (Small Letters) Reverse Rim Cud (2 to 5 o'clock)

Description

Spanning a substantial arc from the 2 o'clock to 5 o'clock position on the reverse, this rim cud on an 1858 Flying Eagle Cent in the Small Letters variety preserves dramatic evidence of die failure on one of the shortest-lived coin designs in United States history. The Flying Eagle Cent was produced for regular circulation in only two years — 1857 and 1858 — before being replaced by the Indian Head design in 1859. A cud of this magnitude, covering roughly a quarter of the reverse rim, indicates that a large section of the die rim fractured and broke away, leaving a deep cavity that filled completely with metal during each subsequent strike. The resulting raised, featureless mass obliterates the design elements in that sector, replacing the wreath detail with a smooth blob. The "Small Letters" designation distinguishes this from the Large Letters variety of the 1858 Flying Eagle Cent — two distinct reverse hub types that are separately collected. Flying Eagle Cents were struck on thick copper-nickel planchets weighing 4.67 grams at 19mm diameter, and the hardness of this alloy placed significant stress on dies during production, accelerating wear and rim failure. The 1858 Flying Eagle Cent had a mintage of approximately 24.6 million pieces across both letter varieties, all struck at the Philadelphia Mint. This cud variety documents the extreme die deterioration that occurred during the early years of small cent production at the Philadelphia facility.