wwhitman,
Don't slab it. I can get an 1878S PCGS 63 for $55-$60 all day long (MS 64 for $80). It will cost around $30 to get it graded (Economy) with no variety attribution (PCGS only does Top 100/Hot 50), plus the original price of the coin ... you're not going to get your money back.
The only folks who break even on these common slabs are bulk submissions from high-volume dealers.
p.s. - I checked the latest VAMView price guide and no sales are listed for the
VAM 9 from May-Jul 08. However a
VAM 8 (I4/R3) in PCGS 61 sold for $63.