Flying eagle!

Pumpkin

Jr. Member
Nov 12, 2023
24
141
Found under a floorboard in our house! Vacuumed it up in a half inch of dirt during renovations, but saw it shine and it was still in the vacuum hose. The house is 2-300 years old, and the south upstairs room was used by a cobbler sometime in the late 19th century. I’d never seen a flying eagle cent, and didn’t know we had a non-copper cent.
 

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Upvote 64
Personally, I'd clean it. I'd soak it in acetone and remove any loose dirt/crud. If you plan on keeping it, I'd then used CoinCare or similar to protect it from further corrosion, and put it in a holder. If you're going to sell it, sure get it slabbed by one of the top companies like PCGS or NGC.
 

VERY NICE! Wish I could luck into something like that.
I might make you feel better on that one wv: for one thing, in reference to your profile pic, I’ve looked all my life and never found a single arrowhead. And second, we’ve lived in this construction site for 11 years, I’ve labored maybe 5000 hours on the house, and I’ve only found a small handful of cool things so far.
 

Personally, I'd clean it. I'd soak it in acetone and remove any loose dirt/crud. If you plan on keeping it, I'd then used CoinCare or similar to protect it from further corrosion, and put it in a holder. If you're going to sell it, sure get it slabbed by one of the top companies like PCGS or NGC.
Then again if it was to be stabbed at what cost?
A similar value of $109 is on the market.
Really throwing good money away for a reduced net value.
A good picture/story will sell the coin just as easy.
Interesting method on the cleaning process though.

Very cool recovery from the house.
Sure has great details and looks.
Well found.
A little frame on the wall might work as a conversation piece.
If you ever sell the house just add that to the sale price.
Providence adds $$$ to any item.
 

Then again if it was to be stabbed at what cost?
A similar value of $109 is on the market.
Really throwing good money away for a reduced net value.
A good picture/story will sell the coin just as easy.
Interesting method on the cleaning process though.

Very cool recovery from the house.
Sure has great details and looks.
Well found.
A little frame on the wall might work as a conversation piece.
If you ever sell the house just add that to the sale price.
Providence adds $$$ to any item.
Maybe, maybe not. A lot will depend on where you try to sell. Online sales will get more bidders for slabbed pieces, especially if the seller has no track record for coin sales. In person sales are a different story when someone can inspect the coin before you buy. As you mentioned, a lot will depend on what you have to pay to get it graded and slabbed. If you know a local dealer that will work with you, it might be worthwhile regardless. A single coin might be expensive, but, with a larger lot, the price per coin costs are usually lower. Sometimes you can get a good deal at a good sized coin show where the grading companies have a booth. That can save half the shipping and insurance costs. In the OP's case, unless some of the deposits on the coin will come off, he might get an "environmental damage" or "corroded" tag with "XX details" instead of an actual grade. Grading companies are always a crap shoot. Buyers tend to like them though.
 

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Found under a floorboard in our house! Vacuumed it up in a half inch of dirt during renovations, but saw it shine and it was still in the vacuum hose. The house is 2-300 years old, and the south upstairs room was used by a cobbler sometime in the late 19th century. I’d never seen a flying eagle cent, and didn’t know we had a non-copper cent.
Very Cool!!!! Congrats!!!
 

My second favorite coin in the world. Why dont the U.S. Mint make beauties like this anymore? Big congratulations.
Coins are products of their times, and times change.
Why don't they build prairie-style architecture/homes anymore? Why no mahogany Pullman cars? Why don't they make automobiles like the did in the '50s?

I think lamenting for the good old days has been popular since the good old days,and likely always will be. 😁
 

Hey and I just noticed, that’s not your average laurel or oak leaf wreath on the reverse, that’s a collection of specifically depicted agricultural crops. I see tobacco, melon and hemp leaves, wheat, corn, maybe sorghum at the end, and second to the end, pumpkins!! Or at least acorn squash. I’m a professional grower, and pumpkins are one of my two commercial crops, a lifelong love. How cool to find a coin made for only two years, bearing that design!
The reverse shows corn, wheat, cotton and tobacco. Two crops from the north and two crops from the south.
 

Great find! Only made for 2 yrs? In 45 yrs I have only found 2 .
3 years, but, good luck finding an 1856. I'm still looking for my first of any year.
 

I can't believe I've wasted all this money on metal detecting equipment, have 5 or 6 vacuums right here in the house! :BangHead:
Seriously though, congrats on spotting that beauty!
 

That Flying Eagle in in great condition. I just love the design of them. I remodeled an old house in the 1990's and never found a nice coin like that. I did find a couple of Lincoln memorial pennies... just my luck. The house was built in the 1920's or 30's. Congratulations!
 

Good thing you found that coin under your floor boards and not out in a field where it would be in way less better condition, that thing is a blazer ! Great find.
 

Under no circumstance would I clean it. No water or any other liquid! Once a coin is cleaned it will always be called a "cleaned coin." Nice find.
 

It would depend on what's on the coin and how bad it looks. Sometimes cleaning can improve the value of a coin. There is no one method for all occasions. If it's just dirty, careful cleaning won't hurt anything. If it's corroded, that is another thing. Gentle cleaning won't remove corrosion, and heavy cleaning leaves marks. Even if you get the corrosion off, you're left with pits and haven't improved the looks enough (if at all) to be worth the trouble. Plus, you've removed the patina and probably removed some detail in the process. The bottom line though, is that it's your coin. Do with it as you please. Just keep these things in mind if you plan to resell them.
 

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