Newspaper from February 1857 featuring information on the "new" Flying Eagle Cent

AnkurJ · July 24, 2014 6:14AM

What I love about numismatics is that there are so many different ways to collect. Here is one of those examples.
This is a Harpers Weekly Newspaper from 2/7/1857. It featured an article along with images of a 1856 flying eagle cent! A nice glimpse into what the author and possibly the public thought of the large cents which had been around for over 60 years.

Feel free to post any exames of coins in newspapers that you might have.
thanks for looking!
Ankur

epcjimi1 · July 24, 2014 6:40AM

Had to look up "anserine"

an·ser·ine (ns-rn, -rn) adj.

1. Of or belonging to the subfamily Anserinae, which comprises the geese.

2. Of or resembling a goose; gooselike.

Great Harpers Weekly article!

AnkurJ · July 24, 2014 6:44AM

A Goose!

csdot · July 24, 2014 7:30AM

What am I missing here? If, as they say in the 1857 article, that the new cent has an intrinsic metal value of 1/65th of a dollar, then doesn't that mean the Mint is losing money from day one.

Justlooking · July 24, 2014 8:54AM

I thought it said asinine.

REALGATOR · July 24, 2014 9:13AM

Interesting time capsule even if the math seems backwards. The flying eagle cent is a favorite and always sparks interest when I show one to a non-coin collector.

ThePennyLady · July 24, 2014 9:49AM

Very very cool article, thanks for posting it Ankur.

A while back, I bought an original "Frank Leslie's Illustrated" newspaper dated April 4, 1857, with a small article about the upcoming issuance of the new cent (it was officially issued on May 25, 1857, and was an instant success). According to Rick Snow's Attribution Guide, on the day of issue, "hundreds of people lined up outside the Mint to exchange their old coppers and lightweight Spanish silver for the new nickel cent. The Mint had never seen such excitement. . . . Production remained very high to accommodate the demand. In three short years the Mint had produced more nickel cents than in the prior sixty four years of producing the old large cents!"

This is the back page of the newspaper

AnkurJ · July 24, 2014 10:15AM

Very cool charmy!
Funny that they will not complain yet the design only lasted two years!

leothelyon · July 24, 2014 10:29AM

.........living bird of jove? Blasphemers!

toyz4geo · July 24, 2014 12:06PM

It was interesting to note that the older large cents smelled. One whiff and you could tell what was in the gentleman's pocket?

AnkurJ · July 24, 2014 12:27PM

<< It was interesting to note that the older large cents smelled. One whiff and you could tell what was in the gentleman's pocket? >>

Ever been to an EAC convention? Oh wait...that might not be the coins that stink.

AnkurJ · July 24, 2014 12:36PM

Here is another interesting publication, but this one originates from England. It is titled "Gentleman's Magazine" and covers multiple topics. In this issue from March 1783, it had a small passage discussing the minting of the Libertas Americana Medal!

I am not sure of the historical reason why, but the letter "s" has been replaced with "f".

hchcoin · July 24, 2014 12:44PM

Great posts in this thread

Coinsponge · July 24, 2014 12:50PM

<< Here is another interesting publication, but this one originates from England. It is titled "Gentleman's Magazine" and covers multiple topics. In this issue from March 1783, it had a small passage discussing the minting of the Libertas Americana Medal!

I am not sure of the historical reason why, but the letter "s" has been replaced with "f".

Almost makes the word struck a four letter word.

MGLICKER · July 24, 2014 1:06PM

A very bright and animated description by Harpers.

Guess things were not all stiff and dark pre Civil War.

Coinsponge · July 24, 2014 1:11PM

<< A very bright and animated description by Harpers.

Guess things were not all stiff and dark pre Civil War. >>

I suspect that was just a stereotype anyway. Human behavior does not change that much through the ages.

DeliaBug · July 24, 2014 1:18PM

<< I am not sure of the historical reason why, but the letter "s" has been replaced with "f". >>

It is actually not a f but an ſ which in old English is an s. The crossbar only goes left, not all the way across.

Wiki on Long S

ProofArtworkonCircs · July 24, 2014 1:20PM

<>

Not really. The s has no crossbar extending right while the f does. Once you get used to reading these old printings, you will not confuse them at all.

AnkurJ · July 24, 2014 1:21PM

<< 

<< I am not sure of the historical reason why, but the letter "s" has been replaced with "f". >>

It is actually not a f but an ſ which in old English is an s. The crossbar only goes left, not all the way across.

Wiki on Long S >>

That shouldn't cause any confusion....

Unknown · July 24, 2014 1:21PM

This content has been removed.

ProofArtworkonCircs · July 24, 2014 1:23PM

<<What am I missing here? If, as they say in the 1857 article, that the new cent has an intrinsic metal value of 1/65th of a dollar, then doesn't that mean the Mint is losing money from day one.>>

I am more concerned that they think 1/86 is greater than 1/50.

Newspaper from February 1857 featuring information on the "new" Flying Eagle Cent

Comments

The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!

My Jefferson Nickel Collection

Leave a Comment

Newspaper from February 1857 featuring information on the &quot;new&quot; Flying Eagle Cent

Comments

The more qualities observed in a coin, the more desirable that coin becomes!

My Jefferson Nickel Collection

Leave a Comment

Newspaper from February 1857 featuring information on the "new" Flying Eagle Cent