I am at present researching a set of early 18th century colliery accounts and on the sales side I keep coming across references to 'old coals' either been given away or used as payments for various services around the colliery.
I have come up with two possibilities for this
1) coal deteriates after it has been mined and so is less valuable. If this is the case what sort of time span are we ta;lking about for this to happen. This is a new working of an old colliery and they are talking about old coals within 6 months of starting production.
2) As stated above this colliery is a re-opening of analready worked area with frequent refences to 'opening old workings' Is the 'old coal' coal that is being removed from these areas of old workings as they pass through into new areas of previously unworked seam
Any comments gratefully accepted.
Graham Brooks
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