Issue with editing float8 fields

I'm guessing float8 is deprecated since I don't see it in the list of
options when creating fields.  I have an older table that has a field of
type float8.  
I'm using PgAdmin III 1.6 Beta 1, Sep 12 2006, rev: 5353 on a windows
2000 machine.
When I try to edit data in this table -> editing the float8 field,  it
gives me an error 

'syntax error at or near "precision" at character 51'
As far as I can tell, there is nothing I can put in that field that
would work.
If I try to edit from Microsoft Access using the ODBC driver as a linked
table, I can edit the field fine.
As a general note I see that according to the table header, the field is
being treated as a double precision for editing purposes.

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