The 1888 Canadian Penny, also known as the Canadian Large Cent or the Victoria Cent is a larger than normal 1c coin used in Canada but minted in England.
What are 1888 Canadian Large Cents worth? Average values for the Large Cent Queen Victoria Penny issued in 1888 vary from location to location but on average you can expect to see this coins listed price to be around $10.00 in poor condition and $600.00 in a mint state. However, if you are selling to a dealer you can expect to get a reduced rate of between $7.5-$450 as dealers have to make some sort of profit.
- Year: 1888
- Type: Large Cent Queen Victoria Penny
- Private Party Value: $10.00-$600.00+
- Dealer Price: $7.5-$450+
- Face Value: 0.01 CAD
- Produced: 4,000,000
- Shape: Round
About: Mintage for this year was increase nearly 3x over previous year making these coins worth slightly less on average.
Obverse (front)
Latin inscription, "VICTORIA DEI GRATIA REGINA. CANADA", which means Victoria, Queen by the Grace of God. Young Queen Victoria with laurel wreath in her hair.
Reverse (back)
ONCE CENT and the Date in a circle located center. 16 total maple leaves wind their way around the outermost circle.
Designer: Leonard Charles Wyon (Obverse), Leonard Charles Wyon (Reverse)
History Repeats Itself
A well known and popular saying for a good reason. One of the best predictors of a coin's value is its historic sales. Here are a few sales records for the 1888 Canadian Large Cent. This may better give you an idea what your coin is worth.
| Sales Date | Coin | Grade | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-04-22 | 1888 Canadian Large Cent | XF | $4 (eBay) |
| 2014-03-02 | 1888 Canadian Large Cent | MS64 RB | $158 (Stacks Bowers) |
| Sales Date | Coin | Grade | Price |
Variations and Errors
- 1888 DDO (look for doubling on number 8s)
Where is the mint mark located? If the coin in question has a mint mark it will be at the bottom center of the reverse. Look for an H which stands for Heaton Mint located in Birmingham England. 
Important Dates:
1858,1876-H,1884,1891,1894,1908 C are rare semi-key, key, and general dates of interest to collectors.
The 1894 Canadian Large Cent is considered by most to be Key Date of importance due largely too its low mintage numbers. Thick 4 is the variation name also called thick.
The 1882 H Canadian Large Cent featuring Queen Victoria represents the first bit of consistency as it was the first time that the Heaton Mint in Birmingham England produces these coins 2 straight consecutive years. Before 1882 the minting was spotty at best.
The 1858 Canadian Penny, also known as the large cent was the first of the young Queen Victoria coins issued for the country of Canada. Prior to this issuance each province of Canada had its own currency. This coin was the one to standardize the monetary system if you will.
1859 was the second year of issuance for the Canadian Penny. Mintage numbers have been ramped up from 421k to over 9.5 million making these coins more readily attainable and not as rare. However this coin would not be minted again for another 17 years.
1891 the design changed slightly with more detail being added to the leaves on the reverse of the coin. There are several variations to note, be sure to check the list in the variations and error section below.
