1880-CC 8/Low 7

The 1880-CC 8/Low 7 is the companion variety to the 1880-CC 8/High 7, distinguished by the vertical position of the underlying 7 from the 1879-prepared working die. The Low 7 shows the underlying 7's crossbar at the bottom of the 8's lower loop, where the High 7 shows the same crossbar near the top. The variety belongs to the same 591,000-piece 1880-CC mintage and is catalogued by Van Allen-Mallis with a specific VAM listing. Both High 7 and Low 7 exist on the standard Reverse of 1879 hub, with the older Reverse of 1878 combination tracked as a separate 8/7 Reverse of 1878 variety.

Authentication relies on careful date inspection under five to ten power magnification. The Low 7 crossbar sits at the bottom of the 8's lower loop, often barely visible above the digit's base. Side-by-side comparison with a confirmed High 7 example or PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC reference photos is the standard authentication path. PCGS and NGC both attribute the variety in their slabs. Counterfeit overdates do exist in the Carson City market and the variety's premium pricing makes certified slabs the safer purchase route at any meaningful price level.

The 1880-CC 8/Low 7 is a documented die-marriage variety within the 1880-CC profile and pairs naturally with the 1880-CC 8/High 7 in specialist Carson City VAM collections. Pricing tracks the High 7 closely at most Mint State grades, with both varieties trading at modest premiums above the standard 1880-CC. Most certified examples grade MS62 to MS64; MS65 and above is condition-scarce because of the 1880-CC's overall low mintage. 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, see the Morgan Dollar series history.