Small Letter Grade 0

[Mason254]

[Mason254]

Any clue on value of this particular coin?

[Just Bob]

Are you sure that is the small letter variety?

[Greenstang]

That is a Large Letter Variety.

Looking at eBay in that condition, it is probably worth $30-35.00

[Mason254]

Yes I'm sure it's a small letter variety 

[Just Bob]

I am going to have to respectfully disagree.

[Mason254]

I respect your disagreement however Small Letter AM almost touching large letters do not I'll take a more clear picture for verification 

[Crawtomatic]

Looks like small letters variety to me as well though that description is flipped.  Small Letters = gap between A&M; Large Letters = almost touching.  A better picture would be needed to confirm but the "feet" of the M appear to match the small letter variety M from what I can tell.  

References:

https://www.usacoinbook.com/coins/271/small-cents/flying-eagle-cent/1858-P/small-letters/

https://www.ngccoin.com/variety-plus/united-states/cents/flying-eagle-cents-1856-1858/12021/

Edited September 5, 2019 by CRAWTOMATIC
redaction

[VKurtB]

YIKES! I'm going to need to see something MUCH closer up on that A and M before even hazarding a guess. I'm afraid that the discoloration there is making my confidence shaky either way. The serifs on the letters will tell the tale. The color of the coin makes me wonder, too. Another "white balance" camera issue maybe?

Edited September 5, 2019 by VKurtB

[Mason254]

Little better picture 

[Mason254]

[VKurtB]

Your better picture has ruined your case, Mason254. Gotta side with Just Bob. With the A serif and the M serif nearly touching as they are, you've got a Large Letter there, zero doubt.

[Just Bob]

1 hour ago, CRAWTOMATIC said:

Looks like small letters variety to me as well though that description is flipped.  Small Letters = gap between A&M; Large Letters = almost touching.  A better picture would be needed to confirm but the "feet" of the M appear to match the small letter variety M from what I can tell.  

References:

https://www.usacoinbook.com/coins/271/small-cents/flying-eagle-cent/1858-P/small-letters/

https://www.ngccoin.com/variety-plus/united-states/cents/flying-eagle-cents-1856-1858/12021/

The top (full coin) photo on the USA Coin Book page is wrong. It is labeled "small letters," but the picture is of a large letter cent. The two close-up pictures are correct.

Edited September 5, 2019 by Just Bob
can't spell, evidently

[VKurtB]

Oops! Silly me. I don't USE websites for this. So just shoot me, right? [rolls eyes] Main reason I don't? The absence of the "second pair of eyes" editing function, which catches the vast majority of simple errors in dead tree publishing.

Edited September 5, 2019 by VKurtB

[Just Bob]

2 minutes ago, VKurtB said:

Oops! Silly me. I don't USE websites for this. So just shoot me, right? [rolls eyes]

Actually, I was talking to Crawdaddy, but if you'll stand still for a second, I'll take a shot or two.

Seriously, if you ever come to Mississippi, you need to look me up. I would love to meet you.

 

[VKurtB]

10 minutes ago, Just Bob said:

Actually, I was talking to Crawdaddy, but if you'll stand still for a second, I'll take a shot or two.

Seriously, if you ever come to Mississippi, you need to look me up. I would love to meet you.

 

Alabama regularly, including last weekend. Mississippi is just a right turn, then, right?

[Greenstang]

I wasn't going to respond after my initial reply but to back Just Bob up, here is a clear indication it is a Large Letter.

The "A" in America is slightly tilted to the left and almost touches the "M".  The last "A" almost touches the wing. This is not the case with the Small Letter. There is also less space between the letters on a Large Date. Now, which one does the OP's photo look like.

Edited September 5, 2019 by Greenstang
Correct typo

[Crawtomatic]

Alright, agreed.  I zoomed in a bit more on the details coin and definitely large letters version.  I may have been mistaking the serif on the A for dirt first time around.

[VKurtB]

5 hours ago, CRAWTOMATIC said:

Alright, agreed.  I zoomed in a bit more on the details coin and definitely large letters version.  I may have been mistaking the serif on the A for dirt first time around.

That's exactly what was troubling me.

[Just Bob]

Greenstang pointed out a couple of markers in the word "AMERICA" that are very handy to know, if the A-M relationship is hard to see, as was the case with the first picture: the tilted first "A," and the close-to-the-wing final "A."  There are also a few more markers that make it easy to tell the difference, if those two are hard to see: The shape of the  beak, especially the lower beak, is different. On the large letters, it is thick and blunt, and on the small letters, it is thin and pointed. The neck feathers on the small letters are more "ruffled," and the center posts of the letters "E" and "F" are shaped differently on the two varieties.There are other differences, but these are the most noticeable, at least to me.

[Mason254]

Thanks everyone one and Just Bob appreciate the knowledgeable information you give and for pointing out the different markers of indications truly helpful! Now with the other identifying markers that you have pointed out does indicate small letters variety.

[VKurtB]

No, it's a LARGE.