The 1988 RDV-006 “Flared G” cent is a transitional reverse variety — a 1988 Lincoln cent accidentally struck with the reverse hub prepared for 1989. Ordinary 1988 cents are face value; correctly attributed examples trade from tens of dollars circulated to a few hundred in certified Mint State red.
What it is
This is a die variety, not a striking accident. Some 1988 cents were struck from the modified reverse hub (catalogued as RDV-006) that the Mint had prepared for 1989 coinage — a transitional pairing of a 1988 obverse with the next year’s reverse. It is listed in the Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties as FS-901, nicknamed the “Flared G” for its diagnostic (GreatCollections). Both Philadelphia (no mintmark) and Denver (1988-D) examples are known (GreatCollections; recent market listings). Because the variety was identified only after the fact, the Mint kept no separate count — the Philadelphia mintage of 6,092,810,000 covers both the normal reverse and the variety (GreatCollections).
How it happens at the Mint
Working dies are made from master hubs, and when the Mint prepared the slightly modified reverse hub for 1989 production, at least one working die from that new hub entered 1988-dated production. The result: 1988-dated coins carrying 1989’s reverse design details. This is a hub mix-up, not damage or a striking error — every coin struck from the affected die shows the same diagnostics (GreatCollections).
Diagnostics: how to identify it
Look at the designer’s initials “FG” at the lower right of the Lincoln Memorial, beneath the building. On the RDV-006 variety, the G is larger and “flared” — it has a distinct serif at the top of its vertical stroke — and the initials sit closer to the Memorial in sharper relief than on the normal 1988 reverse (GreatCollections, citing the Cherrypickers’ Guide). On a normal 1988 cent, the FG is smaller, plain, and set further from the building. The most reliable test is a side-by-side comparison with a confirmed ordinary 1988 cent under magnification. Certification services attribute this as FS-901 (PCGS #569369), and certified attribution is worth having because the difference is subtle at a glance (GreatCollections).
Real error vs. post-mint damage
A genuine RDV-006 shows the flared G and close FG placement crisply and identically on every example from the die — it is in the die itself, so it cannot be “missing” on part of the coin or look different from one specimen to the next. Post-mint damage (a scratched or gouged FG area), die deterioration doubling, or a normal 1988 reverse will not show the flared serif on the G. If the initials look mushy, uneven, or inconsistent with the Cherrypickers’ description, it is not the variety. Beware of sellers labeling any 1988 cent with a slightly odd-looking FG as RDV-006; compare against the diagnostic, not the label.
Notable examples
Certified examples appear regularly at auction. GreatCollections has offered multiple PCGS MS-65 RD FS-901 examples (certification numbers 48258285 and 49680980), confirming active specialist demand in high grade. On eBay, an NGC MS65 RD FS-901 example sold for $275 (best offer accepted, September 2026), and an ANACS AU58 example sold for $96.50 (February 2026). Raw circulated examples in recent listings have traded from about $8 (a 1988-D example) to $33, depending on condition and seller claims.
Value drivers
Grade and color drive the market: full Red (RD) Mint State examples are worth multiples of Brown or circulated pieces, because original red surfaces on copper-plated zinc cents are genuinely scarce (GreatCollections). Certification matters more here than for most modern cents — an attributed FS-901 holder is what separates a $30 raw coin from a $275 certified one. Eye appeal (clean surfaces, no carbon spots or plating blisters) and Philadelphia vs. Denver origin are secondary factors.
Market check
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Specifications and sources
Denomination: 1 cent. Mint: Philadelphia (no mintmark) and Denver (D). Date mintage (Philadelphia): 6,092,810,000 — variety mintage unknown (GreatCollections). Weight 2.5 grams; diameter 19 mm; composition copper-plated zinc. Obverse: Victor D. Brenner’s Lincoln (1909); reverse: Frank Gasparro’s Lincoln Memorial (1959) with 1989-hub details. Variety: FS-901 “Flared G,” RDV-006 transitional reverse; PCGS #569369 (GreatCollections). Sources: GreatCollections (variety description, mintage, specifications, PCGS number), Cherrypickers’ Guide to Rare Die Varieties (via GreatCollections), recent eBay and auction sales (September 2026 and February 2026) for market levels.
