Not all that familiar with this series but I thought this one looked ok. XF meat on it looks like and maybe some cuds on reverse rim?
Um... how sure are we that it's legit? I don't know if that kind of rim action is common on these, but I see some places where the design seems to be sinking into the fields, and I'm not sure how sharp the letters are supposed to be...?
I'd put this at a mid-VF. Not enough detail, and no luster... can't make EF-40 in my interpretation of those pictures. I think some of those reverse rim effects may be small cuds... but I'm also seeing quite a few rim bruises. Especially on the obverse, those rim dings will absolutely bring down the value but may also bring down the grade. Given the amount of rim damage on the obverse, it is really hard to tell what on the reverse might be a tiny, inconsequential cud and which might actually be more rim damage.
The strike and the design details are good, but the rim, especially on the obverse, and the color is not. For circulated pieces, I look for coins which have a color more like the modern nickel. Black and brown are not good. Nickel coins turn black when they corrode.
difference is if I got a coin with this much detail and perfect rims and surfaces it would cost $250+. This coin was $46.
Okay, $46 is okay for what it is. If you had paid $100, that would have been too much. To explain the color of these coins to those who are not familar with them, here is an example.
No, finding this one was hard enough. It seems like the third party graders are over grading these coins now. I hunted all over this year's Winter FUN bourse (over 500 dealers) looking for an MS-64. I actually found one in an MS-66 holder which I didn't like as well as this one for almost three times the price. I bought this in a Stacks-Bowers auction. I wanted to put together the "Red Book" set with the 1856, '57 and '58 large and small letters. I have them all now. Here's the 1856 in Proof-64. This is above average for the grade in my opinion. There is a lot more information out there about the 1856. For years the Red Book said the mintage was 1,000. We now know it's more like 2,200. It doesn't matter much because the demand has always outstripped the supply. Collectors have wanted this coin since the first ones were made in 1856. That's why the mint made more of them in 1858 and maybe '59. The market is now divided. Collectors are paying more for the pieces in Mint State than Proof. The mint State pieces were given out to members of Congress in 1856 as a way to get them to support the bill for the small cents. The Proofs were made later. This is one of those Proofs, and it's supposed to be the most common variety. I don't care about that. I just wanted an 1856 Flyer. That might be more than you wanted to know, but I thought you might find it interesting.
Today was my day to learn that there were later restrikes of the 1856 small cent! I found some additional info from Stack's Bowers. Thanks as always for the informative post, and the drool-inspiring coin!
