Cumbria WORKINGTON Colliery token c 1760 - G. GRIFFITH

Copper token of the Banklands Colliery, Workington. issued by Gabriel Griffith in about 1760 or a couple or so years after.

Obverse : Griffith arms - ermine, a lion rampant sable.  Crest - a griffin's head.  Reverse : 'GG' cypher and date.

Banklands Colliery was situated a few hundred meters south of Workington Hall and the token was issued regarding the tallying of movement of coal by packhorse. 

Gabriel Griffith, a merchant from the Whitehaven area, had a share in an iron works at Low Mill near Whitehaven  and as well as the colliery at Banklands had a second colliery at Dean near Cockermouth.  This he leased from Lady Day for £10. per annum and 2d. a ton if production exceeded 1,200 tons. The Dean mines were unprofitable,  Low Mill failed and gradually he sunk into considerable debt.  Eventually in 1766 he went bankrupt and by 1771 the Banklands Colliery was owned by Henry Curwen and William Mence.  Gabriel Griffith ended up in London where in 1775 he died in Bull and Mouth Street at the age of 65.1

1  Michael Finlay 'The Mining and Related Tokens of West Cumberland'  2006

D&W 283/10bis,     F. 45         27.mm        RARE  (R+)

Good Very Fine , a bit weakly struck to one side