UK - Coalbrookdale Iron Bridge

January 2022

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First Iron Bridge and Inclined Plane, (Shropshire). The 100 Ft. span bridge was built in 1779 and the nearby inclined plane allowed for easy placement into the river of barges full of ore from the local mines. The bridge is still in existence! (see Wikipedia) OB: "IRON BRIDGE AT COALBROOK DALE. 1792"; Rx: "INCLINED PLANE AT KETLEY 1789"; edge: "PAYABLE AT COALBROOK-DALE AND KETLEY"; Scarce variety.
This from 'ABC Coins and Tokens', UK: Scarce Coalbrook Dale (Shropshire) copper Conder halfpenny token dated 1792. Obverse: Detailed view of the bridge with a sailing ship passing underneath: "IRON BRIDGE AT COALBROOK DALE. 1792", "ERECTED ANNO 1779. SPAN 100 FEET". Reverse: A man working at a barge-lifting machine: "INCLINED PLANE AT KETLEY. 1789". Edge inscription: "PAYABLE AT COALBROOK-DALE AND KETLEY". Listed in Dalton & Hamer as "SCARCE". Issued by Reynolds & Co., trading as the Coalbrook-Dale Iron Company with establishments at Coalbrook-Dale and Ketley. This company cast the 278 tons of iron used in the construction of the bridge. Also, Reynolds invented the inclined plane on the reverse which was used to haul barges 60 feet up to the next level of canal at Ketley where locks were not feasible. The inclined plane is where barges were dragged up the hill on rails, powered by the barge-lifting gear situated at the top of the slope, as indicated on the token.