Is it rare to have a 1988 D penny to look this good?

Nothing like having furbabies. We have 3 dogs and lost our cat early this year. They aren't pets, they're family.

 

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Exactly. Family.

 

I know you didn't ask about value, but I'll add this anyway.

If a collector wants a nice, uncirculated 1988 or 1988-D Cent all he/she has to do is buy a 1988 US Mint set for $5-$6. That includes all P and D coins from cent to half in UNC condition. You're only paying approx. 3x face value since this there are $1.82 in coins. Some mint sets are worth more depending on the date, but most are reasonable. If you're an active collector, want nice coins for your album, and don't want to mess around looking through change, it's easy to buy mint sets. That's why nice looking older cents found in circulation aren't worth very much.

Hope this helps newer collectors

 

I don't think I want to go that far just yet...

 

If it weren't for mint sets those would be fairly nice.

But mint set Denver cents come exceedingly nice. Most are MS-67 and there are a few up to MS-69 PL. Even MS-68's are common in the sets.

As a rule the best coins are found in mint sets but this goes many times over for the '88-D. Almost all mint set '88-D's are nicer than all other '88-D's.

 

Interesting factoid. I had not seen that, but I find It plausible.

 

that Mint Sets will be in better condition than Circulated ?
should be more than plausible, but a higher probability.

 

No, I mean that it’s particularly so on 1988-D’s.

 

There are a few coins that it might not be true for at all. I'm told some of the Ikes come nicer in rolls. Of course this doesn't apply to the '71 to '73 and it obviously doesn't apply to the '77 and '78 based on my experience but it might be true for the "6" '74 to '76 issues.

A lot of the moderns are pretty tough to find in rolls and I never paid much attention to the halfs and dollars but the lower denominations are usually better or far better in mint sets. The '88-D and '89-D cents I never saw above MS-67 in rolls. They come very nice in rolls but not as nice as mint sets. And most roll coins are MS-66 at best.

There is a lot of correlation between the incidence of Gems in mint sets and the incidence in high grade slabs. There is much less correlation with roll coins.

People often tell me they can find spectacular Gems in rolls but I searched for 45 years and rarely saw them. I know they are out there because a virtual friend sent be a nice '82 nickel that looks like a pretty decent mint set coin from a roll. To say it another way, I have far more experience with mint set issues than roll coins. But I've put in time going through bags and rolls so I do have some experience. Finding Gems in rolls is tough even if you can find the rolls. Finding Gems in mint sets is like shooting fish in a barrel.

I expect this argument to continue for some years but when all is said and done most of the finest moderns will have originated in mint sets. Finding coins without marking is sometimes easier in rolls but the coins will be poorly struck from poorly aligned and heavily worn dies. Mint set coins are typically well made from good dies but are often scratched.

 

Neither do Lincoln cents.

 

Kudos!

 

The cat ate the Shrew.......

Terribly sorry. Bad form on my part. I'm most abominably sorry.

 

I've lost so many fine feline friends that it aches me.