1888 Proof

4,582 proofs left Philadelphia in 1888, recovering from the 1887 low and returning to the typical mid-1880s proof production range. The year's proof sets included cents, nickels, dimes, quarters, halves, and silver dollars, with the nickel occupying its standard position between the cent and the silver denominations. Distribution was through the Mint's Philadelphia office and collector dealers who purchased sets at issue.

Strike quality is generally strong, with crisp obverse star detail and well-defined reverse wreath elements. Mirror fields are typically deep on properly preserved examples, and Cameo contrast is available on coins struck from fresh dies. The 1888 proof is one of the more affordable late-1880s Liberty Head proof dates and is readily available in PR63 through PR65 grades.

Benjamin Harrison defeated incumbent Grover Cleveland in the November 1888 presidential election, despite losing the popular vote, in one of the more controversial outcomes of nineteenth-century American politics. The electoral college result would be reversed in 1892 when Cleveland returned for his second nonconsecutive term. Proof subscribers receiving their 1888 Liberty Head nickels in late 1888 were handling coins produced during a contentious election year that set precedents for contested American presidential politics.