“Details” Grade Question

i am an old collector. I have a substantial collection, but only a handful of fairly recently acquired slabbed coins. I am not as well schooled in some of the TPG verbiage as most of you.

I looked up “Details Grades” on the NGC website. It tells me that it is a grade system used in accordance with the wear a coin has received during its life..... That confuses me a bit. I thought the numerical grade system accomplished that.

When I see details grade referred to in conversation here, it is usually in reference to cleaned or damaged coins. I own one coin with the “details” grade. It is a seated half that is noted “Corroded-Cleaned”..... So does the “details” grade indicate that a coins surface has been cleaned or altered in some way? Or is there another significance placed on this verbiage?

 

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Details means that something has happened to the coin that makes it ungradeable. This would mean corrosion, cleaning, tooling, scratching, rim nicks, polishing, etc. So yes, "Details" means that the surface has been altered.

 

What Yolobagels said. In the case of the coin you posted, it's obviously got corrosion. I have only a couple coins in details holders. One was a 1921 Peace Dollar. It was Unc details "cleaned". I bought it because the telltale cleaning lines were not strong. I wanted to judge it for myself. Once I received it, I thought it was cleaned, but not terribly. I have since sold it.

The other is this coin. It says scratched, but it's not very noticeable. Corrosion is the worst "details" grade in my eyes.

1804 H_Cent Plain 4 No Stems AU by jpcienkus posted Mar 15, 2018 at 6:05 PM

1804 H_Cent Plain 4 No Stems AU reverse by jpcienkus posted Mar 15, 2018 at 6:05 PM

 

What has already been said stated it all..

 

I'm new on this grading thing as well and don't own any graded coins but regarding OP's coin, the label says "VF 20" - why the grade if the coin is ungradeable ? Is this them saying "IF" it wasn't damaged/altered, this is what the coin would've graded? Just confusing that they put a grade there, seems like a conflict.

 

The numerical grade is given as a reflection of the amount of wear the coin has received during it's life, on a scale of 1 to 70.

PCGS and NGC do not assign a numerical grade to coins that are DETAILS coins. Only ANACS and ICG do that.

 

"Details" does not mean a coin is entirely ungradable. For NGC and PCGS, it means: 1. it has some sort of damage, and 2. it can be graded, but not with precision, so it gets an adjectival grade (VF, AU, etc.), but no number. From the picture posted by the OP, it appears ANACS will go a step further and assign a numerical grade to damaged coins. Coins that are completely ungradable don't get slabbed. They come back in a "body bag" (plastic bag) with a statement as to why they couldn't be graded.

Cal

 

A few more notes:

PCGS and NGC (I think) give you the option of having a letter grade appear on a details slab, or just having the slab say "authentic".

ANACS will give numbers for detail coins, but only up to 60. In other words, they won't say "MS 65 DETAILS".

In some cases, TPGs will practice what's called "net grading", where they look at the overall state of wear on the coin and then subtract points for a problem. Most folks here don't seem to like that, as it obscures what's actually going on. I think ANACS in the old days would do that explicitly, saying something like "AU details, corroded, net VF20". Others here can correct me or fill in more details.

 

"Details" means there is something wrong with the coin that detracts from the stated grade. The tpg was paid to grade the coin.

 

I've not seen a NGC or PCGS slab with a details + numeric grade. It doesn't mean they don't exist though. I don't submit a lot to either TPG so I'm not confidant in their rules for details coins.

I know ANACS did this on their older slabs (soap bars).

Maybe @C-B-D or @Mainebill can add their experience in this area.

 

I have only submitted to ANACS. From what I've been getting back the "Details-cleaned" slabs are knocked down a grade or two.
A gold eagle that would be a 63 came back "details-scratched" MS-60.

 

NGC & PCGS - No Numeric grade on details coins at any grade level.

ANACS & ICG - Numeric grade from 01-60 on details coins. All MS details coins will be MS60 Details.

 

Thanks. Good to know.

 

They don't. I'm sorry I wasn't clearer in my post.

NGC and PCGS will optionally put a letter grade on detail coins, at least for some coins. (There may be damaged coins for which they won't assign a letter grade, whether you ask for it or not.)

 

Slight grammatical correction:

PCGS will not grade, but may encapsulate, coins with the following problems:
(See list above in GDJMSP's post)


We have all seen slabbed "Questionable Color", "Corrosion", "Environmental Damage", and others, coins in PCGS slabs. I just didn't want folks to think that PCGS will not slab any of those listed.

 

No. Pcgs or ngc don’t give either a numeric grade. That’s just anacs I’ve never submitted to them either. As to the 1804 half cent I’d be cracking that and resubmitting it as I bet that’ll grade straight it just might take a couple try’s

 

I agree I'd never submit to ANACS, but ICG will do numerical grades as well but like @Beefer518 mentions anything uncirculated gets a 60 and no higher

 

Wait, why slab it at all if damaged? How do they determine which ones are worth slabbing and which are body bag coins?

And who would want a damaged coin slabbed? I'd rather not be charged for the plastic if my coin is damaged.