1880-CC 8/7 Rev of ’78 Brilliant Morgan Dollar, MS64 PCGS, VAM-7, ‘Hit List 40’

1880-CC 8/7 Rev of ’78 Brilliant Morgan Dollar, MS64 PCGS, VAM-7, ‘Hit List 40’. Of all the Reverse of 1878 VAM varieties (Van Allen-Mallis, who started the popular variety collecting style), the 1880-CC 8/7 is one of the toughest, most popular and most elusive to find, especially in high grades. Practically all of the 1880-CC Morgan dollars are overdates of one variety or another, but most of them have the Reverse of 1879, with Rounded Eagle Breast and Slanted Arrow Feather (top feather on the left side of the fletchings). The VAM-7 shows a “Dash Below 8” (the first 8) and no trace of a 9 beneath the 0, and it is the much-rarer, short-lived Reverse of ’78, with Flat Eagle Breast and Parallel Arrow Feather. This is a brilliant piece with frosty luster, minimal marks, and great eye appeal. This is a “Hit List 40” VAM variety, i.e. among the 40 most popular varieties in the series. And the always-in-demand Carson City mintmark just furthers the appeal, of course. Certified in an early PCGS 8 blue-label holder (graded 2001–2002).