I am saying 56. I copied your image, superimposed images of the tree different dates and tried to match up the dates. 56 was a good match, due to the serif of the 6. I outlined where I think the date is in light green below. Nice find. How much did you pay, if you don't mind me asking?
Thanks!! Thats what i thought too... Got really lucky ,,, paid 25.00 for a bag of indian head pennys,, that was mixed in.
That date's so mangled that the coin would probably need to be identified by other die markers -- if any are left. Unfortunately, identification may be impossible, and the coin doesn't have any significant value unless it's authenticated as an 1856.
Also got 2 silver dimes from the same guy for 2 dollars. When he sold me them i thought the eagle might be worth somethin more too.
Absent extraordinary proof, extraordinary claims are ignored. Short of being able to prove a 1856, I think the most the coin can be worth is 1858 pricing. There are tons of AG 1916 mercuries in 1916d holes, when you look at the mintmark it appears there MAY be a D there, but its not provable. I am not saying that I can prove its not a 56 man, just saying no one will pay 56 money without proving its a 56. The date is so beat up, and circulation can do weird things to coins, to me its probably unknowable. Chris
Might have some proof here. Though a 10x loop i can see the die chip mentioned here. http://images.goldbergauctions.com/php/lot_auc.php?site=1&sale=8&lot=1074 1856. Snow-5. Die pair. PCGS graded Proof 65. This is one of the most visually stunning 1856 Flying Eagle cent that could possibly exist. A sharp early die state example that is virtually mark free. Visually, there is no question of this coin's proof status. It has an absolutely full strike and is of the highest production quality witnessed on any 1856 Flying Eagle. This example is struck from the Snow 5 die pair, which was first described in 1992 in Rick Snow's book "Flying Eagle and Indian Cents". Only 10 examples of this die pair have been seen by this author, perhaps less than 35 examples of this die pair exist in all grades. This die pair is a marriage of *Obverse 2* and Reverse D as described in Snow. It is unlisted in Breen's die list found in Chapter XV of his Proof Encyclopedia. **The obverse die is distinguished by a die chip at the base of the U in UNITED, called the "Pointed U"**
The coin is too distorted in your photos to tell much but if you can get a good look at the '5' you should be able to tell whether the coin is an 1856 or an 1856. (The vertical part of the '5' points to a different place on the ball of the '5' depending on the date.) Also, there is another marker you can look for. I think the A and M in AMERICA are different between the two dates; maybe the bottom legs are connected on one and not on the other. Anyway, there are markers that will let you know whether you have a genuine '56 or a '58.
I'm confused. If it was "mixed in" with a bag of IHCs, how were you "told when you got it" that it was 1856? As an inveterate dumpster-diver, I'm always excited by tales of high-value coins found in low-value places...
was at a flea market,,, guy had a bunch of coins in different bags but with no prices,,,, also the smell of booze on his breath, when i asked him the price of bag with the pennys,, he looked into and said 30.00, i tried getting it for twenty,he said no because the one coin in there could be a 56 eagle,, so we settled at 25,,,, Dumpter dive that jerk
It looks like 55 or 65 to me! scan the coin so others can look for die markers! or at least take some full pictures.
I don't understand that statement. Are you saying you think it is an 1855 or 1865 Flying Eagle Cent? (FECs were struck 1856-1858 so both of those dates would not be possible.)
1855 is possible but not in that size. There were pattern 1855 flying eagle cents in copper about half cent size. I agree though that the photos are too distorted and unclear (I can't even see the date let alone determine what it is.) If the rest of the coin is as rough and porous as those date areas I doubt if you can trust the "die chip" but the U either.
no the rest of the coin is better then the pics of the date... i will try and post better pictures,,, i am still new at this and trying to learn the best ways of getting the photos right
