1887 7/6 Overdate

The 1887 7/6 Overdate is a Philadelphia variety where the underlying 6 of an 1886-prepared working die remains visible beneath the corrected 7 of the 1887 date. The variety belongs to the same 20,290,710-piece 1887-P mintage and is catalogued by Van Allen-Mallis as VAM-2, one of the most popular overdate VAMs in the entire Morgan series. The 7/6 sits among the Top 100 Morgan VAM register and is the year's principal specialist collecting target.

Authentication of a 7/6 claim turns on the third digit of the date. Under five to ten power magnification, the upper portion of the underlying 6 remains visible inside or below the 7's crossbar, with the curve of the 6's upper loop protruding from the 7's lower area. The clearest VAM-2 examples show the underlying 6 unambiguously; weaker variants tracked under separate VAM listings show partial remnants. PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC attribute the variety in their slabs. Counterfeit overdates exist; verify weight at 26.73 grams and a clean reeded edge before paying any meaningful premium.

The 1887 7/6 Overdate is a popular series Variety pickup that trades at a meaningful premium across all Mint State grades and is the most-collected 1887 Philadelphia die-marriage variation. The variety pairs naturally with the 1887-O 7/6 Overdate in collections that target the year's overdate progression across the two operating mints. 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 broader late-1880s die-reuse context, see the Morgan Dollar series history.