Certified Brown Percentage: 55%
Certified Red and Brown Percentage: 41%
Certified Red Percentage: 4%
Certified Cameo Percentage: 0%

The United States Mint at Philadelphia produced 4,582 Proof cents in 1888, many of which remained unsold at year's end and were subsequently wholesaled to dealers such as David U. Proskey. These coins are easy to spot in today's market due to their deep antique copper toning overlaid with multicolored iridescence. Far rarer, however, are coins that retain fully original mint red color and along with the 1887, the 1888 is seldom seen with the Full Red designation. The Proof 1888 is even rarer with a cameo finish.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the August 2019 Rosemont ANA Auction, where it realized $7,800.