1881-S Morgan Silver Dollar VAM 8A?

Sure looks like an 8A from my seat. Really cool S over S mint mark.

I don't know if you really need it yet, but the big VAM book is a must for anyone that really wants to fully understand VAMs.

If you are just wanting to identify what you have VAMworld is an excellent tool and has a lot of the info that can be found in the book on different pages of the site. Make sure and read the attribution 101 page VAMworld. http://www.vamworld.com/Attribution+101
Skip by anything that looks really confusing at first, like the hub types, but then come back to that stuff later when you understand everything else. The message board is also a great resource of information.
http://www.vamworld.com/page/messages/home

There is a VAM price guide called vamview http://vamsandmore.com/shop/NEW-201...e-Guide.html

There is a SSDC website that people list there collections on and is a database of known to exist VAMs. This database can help you get a feel for what is popular and do census searches similar to what you find on the ANACS website.

Your coin looks like an AU-58 to me with possibility at a low MS grade to the right grader when they are having a good day. It also looks like it has a haze on the obv & reverse that might be PVC residue which can damage a coin, but is removable with a soak in acetone.

When grading a Morgan you have to look at the cotton bolls and leaves for signs of wear, also above the ear. On the reverse look at the breast feathers, wings and wreath for wear. If there is any wear in these spots which can be seen under a loop, the coin will not get a MS grade. If it has no circulation wear it still would not be graded higher than a MS61-MS62 with all of the bag marks on the face and in the fields.

Here is a graded MS63 VAM 8A that sold for $92.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1881-S-S-MO...047675.l2557

Nice coin. This is one of the varieties that I put into the "possible 8/7 overdate" category. There are many known 8/7 varieties for all mints in 1880. The way the die was prepared and date added wasn't changed until 1884. There are a few varieties of 1881-83 coins that, if you use your imagination, you could see how they could be 8/7 overdates. Nothing that looks conclusive, so we can't call them overdates, but enough to make you say, "hmmm." Take a look at 1880 VAM 8, which is a confirmed 8/7. It shows the same little chip on the upper left of the 8, but also has other parts of a 7 present.