1880-CC 8/High 7

The 1880-CC 8/High 7 is a Carson City overdate variety where the underlying 7 of an 1879-prepared working die remains visible at a high position beneath the corrected 8 of the 1880 date. The variety belongs to the same 591,000-piece 1880-CC mintage that produced the standard 1880-CC, the 8/Low 7 variant, and the 8/7 Reverse of 1878 combination. Van Allen-Mallis catalogues the variety with a specific VAM listing distinguishing it from the 8/Low 7 by the vertical position of the underlying digit, with the High 7 showing the underlying 7's crossbar near the top of the 8's lower loop.

Authentication of the variety requires examining the date under five to ten power magnification. Compare the position of the underlying 7's crossbar against PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC reference photos: on the 8/High 7, the crossbar sits near the top of the 8's lower loop; on the 8/Low 7, the crossbar sits at the bottom of the same area. Both varieties exist on the standard Reverse of 1879 hub (the combination with the older Reverse of 1878 is catalogued separately as 1880-CC 8/7 Reverse of 1878). Counterfeit overdates exist; verify weight at 26.73 grams and a clean reeded edge before paying any meaningful premium.

The 1880-CC 8/High 7 is a documented die-marriage variety within the broader 1880-CC collecting profile and trades at a modest premium over the standard 1880-CC at most Mint State grades. The variety pairs with the 1880-CC 8/Low 7 in specialist Carson City VAM collections that target the year's overdate progression. Most certified examples grade MS62 to MS64; MS65 and above is condition-scarce. Certified slabs from PCGS or NGC with the VAM attribution noted on the holder are the standard purchase route at any meaningful price level, since variety counterfeits and misattributions both circulate in the raw market. The Van Allen-Mallis attribution system catalogues every documented Morgan die marriage, and the Top 100 Morgan VAM register identifies the most-collected varieties for specialist collectors. For the Carson City die-prep history and the broader overdate-variety story across the 1880-dated issues, see the Morgan Dollar series history.