1857 Flying Eagle Cent

[DiggingNebraska]

I saw this coin when I was looking through some of my moms older coins and it stuck out. I was wondering how it got like this. Fake? Idk anything about it. Very shiny. Thought it was a mercury dime at first glance. 1857 Flying Eagle Cent

 

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[kuger]

looks like some crazy cleaning!!!

 

[HutSiteDigger]

I don't think its fake... Just never seen the dirt before and i hope it doesn't! could be plated? neat find.

 

[stefen]

I have quite a collection of FE's but none that even get near that shiny....

Looks like a penny covered with mercury...

 

[swamp yankee]

Looks like it may have been dunked in mercury or someone put gold leaf on it ? Plated it for practice?

 

[HutSiteDigger]

Here is a pretty one.... But not as shiny as yours... The more I look @ it that thing is making my eyes glow it is so shiny. Perhaps Stefen and Swamp are on the right track.

The last picture doesn't look as shiny as the other three.

 

[DiggingNebraska]

It is way shinier than your pic. I think their probably right with the mercury.

 

[DiggingNebraska]

Does it have any value?

 

[HutSiteDigger]

What is the value of an 1857 flying eagle cent

 

[DiggingNebraska]

So the mercury doesn't take away from the value?

 

[Mackaydon]

I don't know if I'd be called a purist or a pessimist for assigning it no value due to the dipping or plating or whatever post mint alterations have been performed. Authentic (unaltered) FECs are worth (retail) between about $27 in G-4 up to $3,500 in MS-65.
Don....

 

[DiggingNebraska]

Ok thanks for the info

 

[recondigger]

It looks to thin could you weigh it?

 

[stefen]

Any coin that has been modified by plating, dipping or polishing, in my opinion, has zero collectable value.

No different than reflaking a broken arrowhead...

 

[pepperj]

Any coin that has been modified by plating, dipping or polishing, in my opinion, has zero collectable value.

No different than reflaking a broken arrowhead...

So true, then there's the other side of the coin as in Hobo nickels, Love tokens, Counter stamped all three have a special type of collectability.

 

[jefg231]

very cool