Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(UK Und.) money; thus the ribbin runs thick, the ribbin runs thin, implying the availability or otherwise of cash.

c.1698		B.E. Dict. Canting Crew n.p.: Ribbin, c. Money. The Ribbin runs thick, c. his Breeches are well lined with Money. The Ribbin runs thin, c. he has but little Cash about him.
1725		New Canting Dict. [as cit. c.1698].
c.1750–1882		B.M. Carew Life and Adventures.
1785, 1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue n.p.: ribbin, money. (cant) the ribbin runs thick; i.e. there is plenty of money.
a.1790		H.T. Potter New Dict. Cant (1795).
1809		G. Andrewes Dict. Sl. and Cant.
1812		Vaux Vocab. of the Flash Lang. in McLachlan (1964) 262: ribband: money in general.
1823		‘Jon Bee’ Dict. of the Turf, the Ring, the Chase, etc. 212: Ribbon, or ribben — money.
1833		‘My Dimber Mot’ in Regular Thing, And No Mistake 67: And should we meet a Lushington, / He’s spoken with for you, / From ticker, lil, or bright ribbon, / To fadge – or bird’s eye, blue.
1848		Flash Dict. in Sinks of London Laid Open.