Sun Fire Office Fire Mark

Sun Fire Office Fire Mark

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Description (Brief)
Beginning in the late 17th century, English insurance companies maintained private fire brigades that were paid to respond to fires at properties they insured. Properties were identified by leaden badges (fire marks) bearing a insurance company’s emblem and often stamped with the customer’s policy number.
The Sun Fire Office of London, England issued this lead fire mark around 1785 to 1790. The fire mark consists of a rounded upper half featuring a sun face with sixteen rays alternating straight and wavy. Underneath the sun, a rectangular panel bears the policy number “528906.” The Sun Fire Office operated from 1710 until 1959, when it merged with the Alliance Insurance Company.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
fire mark
date made
1785-1790
place made
United Kingdom: England
Physical Description
lead (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 6 3/4 in x 6 in; 17.145 cm x 15.24 cm
ID Number
2005.0233.0563
accession number
2005.0233
catalog number
2005.0233.0563
Credit Line
Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art Collection
subject
Fire Fighting
Insurance
See more items in
Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
Cultures & Communities
Advertising
Work
Firefighting Collection
Fire Marks
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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Comments

I have a copper - Sun Fire Office 1710 - medallion measuring 17 1/4 inches, and/or 18mm in diameter. It was attached to an old neoclassico house in Athens, Greece - Hellas.

Mark Pappas

Thu, 2020-10-29 10:57

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