1857 1C Flying Eagle Cent NGC MS65

Here’s an attractive—and rare—piece to add to your collection. NGC has graded 261 as MS65 with only 26 finer. Collector’s Universe gives this issue a price of $3,600.00 in MS65.

According to art historian Cornelius Vermeule, in his book Numismatic Art in America, the flying eagle motif was "the first numismatic bird that could be said to derive from nature rather than from colonial carving or heraldry."

The NGC Green Label Program

Numismatic experts at RARCOA—a leading supplier of rare coins since 1962—inspect coins for attributes of superior quality that includes outstanding eye appeal, razor-sharp strike, booming luster, and beautiful rainbow toning. RARCOA then submits these exceptional coins to NGC for certification and encapsulation. Only coins that possess such extraordinary quality—according to RARCOA's strict standards—are awarded the NGC Green Label. These NGC Green Label coins are the crème de la crème of the numismatic world.

The Second Philadelphia Mint, where this rare piece was struck in 1857. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Ron Guth writes, "In 1857, the U.S. Mint produced two different Cents: the old-style Large Cent and a new, smaller cent with an eagle flying left across the obverse. One of the motivating factors for the creation of the new 'Small' Cent was the high price of copper. Each new Small Cent required less than half the amount of copper than the Large Cent, yielding significant savings for the U.S. Treasury."