Patterns (1856)
The 1856 Flying Eagle cent is a very well-known popular rarity, as these cents have formed the focus of attention since the time they were struck. Experiments that had been conducted at the Mint since 1850 for a smaller diameter cent came to a conclusion, and a new alloy, today known as copper-nickel (consisting of 88% copper and 12% nickel), was found to be superior to other tested alloys.
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