1857 FS-402 Snow-9 Flying Eagle 1c Grades vf++

1857 FS-402 Snow-9 Flying Eagle 1c Grades vf++
1857 FS-402 Snow-9 Flying Eagle Cent 1c Grades vf++. 1857 Flying Eagle Cent. Snow-9, FS-402. Obverse Die Clash with Liberty Seated Half Dollar. Here is a great example of this intriguing variety. The strike is bold over most elements of the Flying Eagle design and clash marks from the half dollar die are readily evident even without the aid of a loupe. This and the two other denomination clashed dies are among the greatest unsolved mysteries in American numismatics. It is not known why a half dollar die of much larger diameter came into strong contact with a Flying Eagle cent obverse, leaving traces of the half dollar motif. As these were not known until relatively modern times, they were not numismatic delicacies or special productions for collectors.The Flying Eagle cent obverse die came into forced contact with a die used to coin the obverse of a Liberty Seated half dollar. This clash is very prominent on the obverse of the Flying Eagle cent. The dies seem to have had absolutely parallel faces when clashing, thus yielding bold impressions. A clash mark extends from the left rim of the cent, upward and diagonally to the right, through the top curved part of the eagle's beak, across the field, to the underside of the wing. A second clash mark emerges from top of the same wing, slightly left of the intersection with the right wing, and curves to the left in the direction toward the letters ST in STATES, but fades before reaching those letters.The preceding features are part of the leg and far side of Liberty's upraised arm on the half dollar. In the field below the letters TA in STATES is an elongated U-shaped clash, combining with another U-shaped clash to its right, the latter extending upward through the second T in STATES and the upper left of the adjacent E. This represents part of Liberty's arm, neck and the liberty cap pole. On the right side of the cent is an especially prominent clash line beginning at the rim above the letter M in AMERICA, continuing downward through the top right of E and progressing deeper into the letters RICA, touching the top tip of the eagle's tail, then turning sharply right for a short distance to exit to the rim, this an impression of Liberty's lowered arm. Additional clash marks, lighter in definition, abound in the field above and below the eagle's tail and are Liberty's skirt lines. The clash mark design is oriented in the same direction as the cent obverse design.