1878-P Morgan Dollar VAM-5 "Strong RIB" Doubled Motto: How to Identify It

The 1878-P VAM-5 is a Top 100 Morgan VAM, discovered by Leroy Van Allen in December 1965. NGC recognizes it. It is one of the most visually dramatic 8 Tail Feather doubled motto coins in the series.

What makes it different

The defining feature is the strong doubling of the letters R, I and B ("RIB") in E PLURIBUS, where the bottoms of the letters show large shifts. The page describes the variety as scarce in all grades.

How to identify it

• Obverse: large shifts at the bottom of RIB. All left stars are slightly doubled, and the 78 in the date is slightly doubled on the right outside.

• Reverse: UNITED is strongly doubled on top and bottom. STATES OF AMERICA is doubled at the bottom and ONE DOLLAR at the top. The left wreath is strongly doubled.

• Feathers: three small feathers are added on the eagle's right and two on the left, between the leg and the bottom of the wing.

• Good marker: a blob of metal at the bottom of the F in "of" helps confirm this reverse. The same reverse appears on several other varieties, but most of those are major rarities.

What buyers and collectors should know

Auction records cited for the variety suggest roughly 30 examples in MS63 on one grading service's side and 12 in the NGC census. Those are not live counts, so treat them as a rough guide to scarcity. Buyers should look for a holder that attributes the variety, or confirm the RIB doubling and the reverse markers themselves. Collectors chasing a Top 100 set will want a clear example, since the doubling is easy to see.

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