1856 Flying Eagle Penny Front
In 1856, it cost more to produce a penny than how much it was actually worth! At the time, the coin had a weight of 4.7 grams. On top of that, the coin used to have a diameter of 19 mm. Yes, this means that it used to be almost as large as the modern nickel. In the end, the U.S. Mint decided them smaller.
1856 Flying Eagle Penny Front
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1856 Flying Eagle Penny Back
These Flying Eagle coins were only in production from 1856 to 1858. In 1856, the U.S. Mint decided to make 20,000 such coins in 1856. This only made the coins rarer. An immaculate Flying Eagle penny from the aforementioned year was sold by Heritage Auctions in Orlando for a shocking $172,500. Whoa.
1856 Flying Eagle Penny Front Back
