Scot Lane Colliery Miner's Tally

A miner’s tally, or a pit check, is one of the most common forms of mining memorabilia. Generally, they were used to record the number of miners down the shaft on each shift, in case of accidents or such. There are over 1000 different types and for some of them, their specific method of use remains unknown.

Engraved with Scot Lane Colliery, this type of miner’s tally would have been handed to the lamp room attendant at the start of each shift in exchange for a safety lamp, and then traded again at the end of the shift and the tally was taken home with the miner.

They’re believed to have been used in 1860, and continued on into the 1980’s until they were replaced with electronic methods.

Sources:

https://lancashireminingmuseum.org/2017/08/11/miners-tally-checks/