This date is similar to the 1887 coins in that die erosion and mediocre luster greatly limits the number of gems certified. The example illustrated also has a couple of obverse die cracks, though this problem was mostly overcome for the type after 1884. This same coin features a superior strike for the date. There are a couple of repunched date varieties for 1888, one of which is also a doubled-die obverse and is quite rare. A much lesser RPD is also known, but it is of interest only to series specialists.