Small Cents

By the early 1850s, the large cent had become both unpopular in commerce and expensive to coin. After experimenting with various sizes and compositions, the Mint decided on an alloy of 88% copper and 12% nickel for a new, smaller cent. In 1957 Congress officially approved the design for the first small cent piece, which featured the flying eagle on the obverse. The design, however did not strike well, and was replaced in 1859 by the Indian Head.