1888 Indian Head Cent Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 4,582 made
- Mintage
- 4,582
- Metal
- 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc
- Weight
- 3.11 g
- Diameter
- 19 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1888 Indian Head Cent Proof worth?
Few coins in the series are harder to find. Even a worn 1888 sells well above face value. The flip side is that counterfeits and altered dates are common, so authentication matters.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1888 Indian Head Cent Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 4,582 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1888 Indian Head Cent?
- No mint mark. Philadelphia struck every Indian cent until 1908.
- How many 1888 Indian Head Cent proofs were made?
- 4,582.
What to check on your 1888
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. In Very Fine, all five letters of LIBERTY on the headband are visible; collectors also look at the feather tips and the "diamonds" on the ribbon. Color is graded too: Red (RD), Red-Brown (RB) and Brown (BN).
Proofs from 1888 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1888
Recovery and the 1886 portrait change (1879 to 1890)
Production rebounded in 1879 as the surplus cleared and the economy recovered, rising from 16 million that year to about 39 million in 1880 and 1881. Proof mintages climbed into the thousands as collecting grew. After a dip in 1885, output passed 45 million in 1887 and 57 million in 1890, the largest yet.
The key variety of this era is the 1886. Early in the year the obverse hub was changed: on Type 1 coins the last feather of the headdress points between the I and C of AMERICA, while on Type 2 coins it points between the C and A. Type 2 is scarcer. The 1888/7 overdate is a major rarity. Bronze from this period often survives with attractive red and brown color. The higher mintages make most dates easy to find in Extremely Fine and better.
How to recognize it
Liberty wears a feathered headdress with LIBERTY on the band, surrounded by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA with the date below. The 1859 reverse is a laurel wreath around ONE CENT; from 1860 an oak wreath with a small shield at the top was used. Coins from 1864 on are bronze and from partway through 1864 they show the designer's initial L on the ribbon behind Liberty's neck. Mint marks (only S, 1908 and 1909) are below the wreath on the reverse.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Indian Head Cent (1859–1909) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1888 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 4,582 |
| Face value | 1¢ |
| Composition | 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze) |
| Weight | 3.11 grams |
| Diameter | 19 mm |
| Edge | Plain |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
Other 1888 Indian Head Cent issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1888 Indian Head Cent | 37,489,832 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1888 Indian Head Cent Proof | 4,582 | Proof | – |
Mintage: United States cent mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.