Manhole Covers as Numismatic Objects

A tongue-in-cheek presentation delivered by Gerry Tebben at the February 2019 Central Ohio Numismatic Association (CONA) meeting makes a convincing case that manhole covers should be considered as numismatic objects. Tebben makes the point that they are round, often dated, and have intrinsic value as bullion products. Further, many of these serve artistic and commemorative purposes that are not always apparent at first glance, and in this sense manhole covers could well be considered “very large medals.” Tebben discusses approaches to collecting manhole covers, and advocates for a split grading system, since most exhibit environmental damage on one side. As slabbing is not yet commercially available, Tebben explores considerations for storage and preservation. The presentation is surprisingly compelling, but might have been more in keeping with an April 1st meeting date.Link to Central Ohio Numismatic Association (CONA) presentations on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/525609Link to Central Ohio Numismatic Association (CONA) newsletters on Newman Portal: https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/publisherdetail/525608