Flying Eagle Cent Value
The Flying Eagle cent, struck from 1856 to 1858, was the first small-size US cent.
Melt value
No melt value: base metal
This coin is 88% copper, 12% nickel. Doubloon doesn't give copper, nickel, zinc or steel a melt value; for this coin, the date, mint mark and condition decide the collector value.
Check yours in Doubloon
Photograph the front and back. Doubloon identifies the year and mint mark and shows the melt value. Doubloon Pro adds collector ranges with their sources and the key dates to check.
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Specifications
| Series | Flying Eagle Cent |
|---|---|
| Years | 1856 to 1858 |
| Mints | No mint mark (Philadelphia) |
| Mint mark location | None: struck only at Philadelphia, which used no mint mark. |
| Years | Metal content | Composition | Weight | Diameter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1856 to 1858 | None (base metal) | 88% copper, 12% nickel | 4.67 g | 19 mm |
Metal content = weight × precious-metal fraction ÷ 31.1034768 grams per troy ounce. Worn coins weigh slightly less than new ones.
Key dates and varieties to check
These are the known key dates, varieties and metal changes for the Flying Eagle Cent. Each entry says what to look at on the coin.
- Key date1856 Flying EagleCheck the date with a loupe. Altered 1858 dates are common, so look for tooling around the last digit.
- Variety1858/7Look at the last digit with a loupe for the top of a 7 above the 8.
- Variety1858 Large Letters and Small LettersLook at AM in AMERICA: on Large Letters the A and M touch; on Small Letters they are separated.
Doubloon can't confirm a variety from a photo. Compare your coin with this guidance. A grading service can authenticate it.
The 1857 act that created the small cent set the 88/12 copper-nickel alloy; the Coinage Act of 1853 governs the silver coins of the period.
What sets the value
Melt value is the gold, silver, platinum or palladium in the coin multiplied by the current spot price. Copper, nickel, zinc and steel coins have no melt value in Doubloon.
Collector value depends on the date, the mint mark, any variety, and condition. Doubloon Pro shows a collector estimate range by condition, built from recent public sales and listings, with the sources and date for each range. When no recent sales are found, Doubloon says so and shows the melt value.
Condition runs from Circulated (Good to Fine) through Extremely Fine, About Uncirculated and Uncirculated, to Proof for coins struck for collectors. Don't clean a coin: cleaning can lower its collector value.
Related coins
Sources and dates
- Doubloon catalog source: coinage-act-1853
- Doubloon catalog source: usmint-history
- A Guide Book of United States Coins (Whitman): key dates, varieties and mintages
- Doubloon catalog source: pcgs-coinfacts
- Spot prices: unavailable when this page was loaded.
- Specifications and key dates: Doubloon's catalog, reviewed October 8, 2026.
Values on this page are estimates, not appraisals, offers or investment advice.