NGC grading question 0

[amffan]

I'm new to graded coins but have been a collector since 1967. I noticed that some encapsulated coins don't have a numeric grade but instead just say "UNC details, cleaned". Is this a "blow-off" for lesser, cleaned or damaged coins? How should I interpret this when presented something like this for possible purchase? AU55? Thanks in advance for your help.

Edited December 9, 2019 by amffan

[Just Bob]

2 hours ago, amffan said:

I'm new to graded coins but have been a collector since 1967. I noticed that some encapsulated coins don't have a numeric grade but instead just say "UNC details, cleaned". Is this a "blow-off" for lesser, cleaned or damaged coins? How should I interpret this when presented something like this for possible purchase? AU55? Thanks in advance for your help.

Welcome to the forum.

I think the first question that you should ask yourself, when presented with this type of coin, is whether you will be happy having  a "damaged" coin in your collection. If so, then the next question would be whether you will be happy with a particular coin at a particular price. As a general rule,  you should expect the price of a "details" coin to be equal to around three letter grades lower than a problem free coin. So, an UNC Details coin would price in the neighborhood of a problem-free VF coin. Obviously, there are lots of exceptions, but that gives you a starting place.

And, yes,  the Details grade is a catch-all designation for coins that are damaged, or otherwise deemed to be ungradable by the TPG.

[amffan]

Thanks Bob

 

[DWLange]

Details Graded coins should not be avoided completely, as they can represent good values when purchased correctly. Here's a piece I wrote on that very subject:

https://www.ngccoin.com/news/article/7693/collectors-edge-Details-grade/

[kbbpll]

I would also caution against assigning any general rule regarding price, and instead look at actual sold items for the specific coin. There was a thread on another forum about an "AU Details - Cleaned" coin where people were saying "50% of straight-graded price" or some such advice, but when I looked at each sold item under AU50 in their price guide, nearly all of them were details coins (a dozen coins or more as I recall), and the average sold price was very close to the trend price. On here for example you can look up a 1882-CC Morgan and the 4 MS60 coins are all "UNC Details", and average out to $172.50, 75% of the NGC price guide. If you're thinking "that should sell for AU55 price", the 4 straight-graded coins under AU55 average $136. So you have to research the specific coin.