Bronze Age Gold from Wales

Rectangular wooden box, painted brown, with a brass ‘slot’ in the top. This box was used in Dinorwig Quarry for storing the quarrymen’s ‘tallies’. From March 1938 Dinorwig Quarry adopted the ‘tally’ system - each quarryman was given a rectangular brass tally (e.g. 2005.35/1-41) with their unique number stamped on the front. Each morning the quarrymen were expected to collect their tally from the gallery office to show that they were in work. At the end of the day the tallies were returned to the office. This box was used to store the tallies at the end of the day i.e. the quarrymen would post their tally through the slot in the top of the box before leaving the quarry. The box was located in the ‘Braich’ section of Dinorwig Quarry.