Fire Mark Circle Auction Catalogue: April 2021 Bidding in this auction has now closed. Note: Lots 2 & 3 both received two equal high bids, the bid received first takes precedent. Click on any photo for a larger image and use the back button to return to this page. Back to Previous Page.

Lot. Photo. Description. Estimate. Winning Bid & Bidder No. 1. National Union Society Ltd. Tin. B959. A very good example of the second of five variants from this late 19th century company, all original colour, some slight scuffing to the raised parts. £30-40 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 9 2. London Assurance. Tin. W9I. An excellent example of this reissued mark in the early part of the 20th century, all original colour. PLUS. London Assurance. Tin. W9H. A fair example of the last mark showing Britannia in profile, repainted in original colours, some repaired parts. (2) £35-40 Bid: £45 (*Equal top bids.) Bidder No. 11 3. Northern Assurance Co. Tin. W88A. A good example of this early 19th century Scottish mark with the company based in Aberdeen, no original colour, some surface rusting covering house paint. £20-30 Bid: £35 (*Equal top bids.) Bidder No. 10 4. A Mundial. Tin. B1676. An excellent example of this early 20th century Spanish mark, all original colour. PLUS. La Fondiaria. Tin. B1522 (similar). An excellent example of this later Italian mark used for promotional and business. (2) £25-30 Bid: £35 Bidder No. 7 5. Bonanca. Lisbon. Tin. B1613. An excellent example of this early circular Portuguese mark (1808). All original colour, no surface damage. PLUS. Soberana. Lisbon. Tin. An excellent example of this non-listed mark from Portugal, all original colour, no surface rusting. (2) £25-30 Bid: £35 Bidder No. 14 6. La Preservatrice. Paris. Tin. Bulau1303. An excellent example of this colourful circular variant, the first of four issued by this French company in the mid-1800s for use in Portugal, all original colour, some surface scuffing. £25-30 Bid: £65 Bidder No. 14 7. Landschaftliche Brandcasse. Enamel. B1341. Three very good different examples of this early German company’s enamel marks. (3) £35-40 Bid: £15 Bidder No. 1 8. Magdeburger. Enamel. B1371/B1372. Two very good examples of this mid-19th century German company’s marks in red and blue backgrounds. (2) £20-30 Bid: £15 Bidder No. 12 9. Feuer Versicherungs Verein. Enamel, (not in Bulau). PLUS. Gother Feuer. Enamel, B1353. An excellent example of these two German marks from the early 1800s. (2) £20-30 Bid: £15 Bidder No. 1 10. Dieser Betrieb-Ist Brandschutz- Beraten. Enamel. (not in Bulau). PLUS. Landschaftliche Brandkasse. Enamel. B1341. An excellent example of these later marks from German companies. (2) £20-30 Bid: £15 Bidder No. 1 11. Allianz Stuttgarter Verein. Tin. Similar to B1362. An excellent example of the last mark issued by the company in the early 1900s. PLUS. Concordia Hannover. Tin. (not recorded). Another excellent example with no surface damage. (2) £25-30 Bid: £15 Bidder No. 12 12. Aachener Feuer-Versich-Ges. Tin. B1355. PLUS. Aachener Munchener. Tin. B1358. Two excellent examples of these early 19th century German marks. (2) £25-30 Bid: £20 Bidder No. 4 13. Munchener. Tin. See B1355. PLUS. Versichert Magdeburg. Tin. B1370. An excellent example of these mid-19th century German marks still retaining their original colour. (2) £25-30 Bid: £35 Bidder No. 7 14. Munchener und Aachener. Tin. See B1358. An excellent example of this mark still with its original colour. PLUS. Feuersozietat Brandenburg. Enamel. B1336. An excellent example of a later variant from one of Germany’s earliest companies founded in 1719. (2) £35-40 Bid: £45 Bidder No. 7 15. Sun Londres. Tin. B557. An excellent example of this later circular mark issued by the Sun primarily for overseas use, all original colour. PLUS. Patriotic. Tin.(not in Bulau) An excellent example of this later mark Guaranteed by the Sun, again for overseas use. (2) £40-50 Bid: £100 Bidder No. 5 16. District Fire Office. Copper. B83E. A very good example of this last of five variants issued by the company, no original colour, no flattening to the shield or fraying at the edges. £25-30 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 4 17. Sun Fire Office. Lead. W3D. Policy No. 705592. Issued in 1800. An excellent example of this variant, no original colour, some house paint, no flattening to the Sun or other surface damage. £70-80 Bid: £70 Bidder No. 2 18. Sun Fire Office. Copper. W3H. A very good example of this first copper variant issued in 1839, all original colour and gilding. PLUS. Sun Fire Office. Tin. W3F. An excellent example of this second tin variant, all original colour and gilding, some slight scuffing to the sun’s face. (2) £40-50 Bid: £95 Bidder No. 5 19. Phoenix Assurance Co. Copper. W23G. Policy No. 336180. A very good example of this copper painted number panel mark issued in 1809, some original colour and gilding, no flattening to the Phoenix or other surface damage, no spear tip. £30-40 Bid: £20 Bidder No. 8 20. Commercial Union Assurance. Tin. W100A. A good repainted example of this company’s only mark that owed its business to the result of the Great Tooley St fire in 1861, one of the few 19th century companies still trading with its original name. £30-40 Bid: £50 Bidder No. 9 21. Licences & General. Tin. B978. A good example of the only mark issued by this late Victorian company (1890), no original colour, house paint and some minor surface rust. £30-40 Bid: £50 Bidder No. 13 22. Birmingham Fire Office. Copper. W42C. A good example of this variant, no original colour, no flattening to the Pump, professionally backed to show the relief of the fireman. £30-40 Bid: £35 Bidder No. 3 23. Phoenix Assurance Co. Copper. W23G. A good example of this first copper variant issued in 1800, still retaining its (re-soldered) spear tip, no original colour or evidence of the Policy No, no flattening to the Phoenix. PLUS. Phoenix Assurance Co. Copper. W23K. A good example of the last mark issued by the company, some original colour, no tabs or flattening to the Phoenix. (2) £50-60 Bid: £40 Bidder No. 4 24. Westminster Insurance Office. Copper. W5C(ii). Policy No.43069. A fair example of this copper stamped number mark, policy issued in 1776, the crown and feathers have been cosmetically replaced as has the two tabs (not in copper). £25-30 Bid: £50 Bidder No. 6 25. Bath Fire Office. Lead. W11A(i). Policy No. 2121. An excellent example of this early mark, no original colour or surface damage, clean nail holes, the mark weighs 1220gms a similar weight to others previously sold. £300-350 Bid: £200 Bidder No. 2 26. Sun Fire Office. Lead. W3A(ii). Policy No. Blank panel. Issued between 1728-1732. An excellent example of this very early variant, some original dulled colour and gilding, no flattening to the Sun or other surface damage, a must for the serious collector. £220-250 Bid: £320 Bidder No. 5 27. West of England Insurance Co. Copper. W48C. A good example of the third of six variants from this Exeter company, some original colour in the recessed parts, no flattening to Alfred, some tearing at the nail holes. £50-60 Bid: £20 Bidder No. 8 28. Royal Exchange Assurance. Lead. W10K. A very good example of this last lead variant, issued in 1810, no original colour, covered in brown house paint, clean nail holes and no surface damage. £25-30 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 4 29. County Fire Office. Copper. W45E. A good example of this circular mark still showing some original dulled colour, no flattening or tearing at the edges, garter tab has been strengthened. £40-50 Bid: £50 Bidder No. 7 30. British Fire Office. Copper. W30E. A good example of this mark, no original colour or fattening to the lion. £40-50 Bid: £40 Bidder No. 3 31. Liverpool & London & Globe. Copper. W105B. A good example of this second variant still retaining some of its original colour, no surface damage to the centre, some fraying at the edges. PLUS. Liverpool & London & Globe. Tin. B946. A good example of this later tin mark, covered in house paint and some minor surface rusting on the rear, possibly taken off a house in Cyprus where the company did business. (2) £40-50 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 12 32. Three Austrian Fire marks. Steirer. Tin. B1071. A good example, no colour, some rusting. Versichert Bei. Tin. B1067. A good example covered in house paint. Wechselseitige Brandsghaden. Tin. B1056. A good example of this early Austrian mark, no original colour, some surface rusting. (3) £45-50 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 14 33. Commercial Union Assurance. Tin. (not in Bulau). Two fair examples of these later variants used for overseas business, house paint on both. (2) £20-30 Bid: £15 Bidder No. 12 34. Securitas Antverpia. Zinc. B1027. A very good example of this early oval Belgian mark (1819), no original colour, some minor stress holes to the figure. PLUS. Le Phenix Bruxelles. Zinc. B1103. A very good example of this later Belgian mark some original colour under several coats of house paint, no flattening or surface damage. (2) £40-50 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 14 35. Assicurato Mobilliare Berna. Tin. B1702. PLUS. Assicurato La Federale Zurigo. Tin. B1727. PLUS. Helvetia St Gall. Tin. B1709. Three good examples of this Swiss company issuing marks for policies in Northern Italy. (3) £30-40 Bid: £20 Bidder No. 12 36. Farmers & General Fire Insurance. Copper. W92B. A good example of this second variant still showing some green background colour and gilding to the wheatsheaf, some minor stress fractures. £30-40 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 3 37. Shropshire & North Wales Assurance Co. Brass. W89B. A very good example of this difficult to find second variant, all original colour and gilding, some very minor stress fractures. £50-60 Bid: £85 Bidder No. 13 38. Bath Sun Fire. Copper. W16B. A very good example of this early mark, no original colour or flattening to the sun, clean nail holes. £70-80 Bid: £45 Bidder No. 8 39. North British & Mercantile Insurance Co. Tin B932. Two fair examples of this later company’s marks, no original colour, house paint and some surface rust. PLUS. another similar smaller rarer variant issued in Austria (A108J-TI).(3) £25-30 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 12 End of Firemarks 40. Footprints of Assurance by Alwin Bulau. A comprehensive history of Worldwide Fire Insurance Companies and their Fire Marks. Published in the USA in 1953. A large book containing 320 pages, a must for the serious collector. PLUS. A quantity of Fire Mark Circle Journals. (Click the photo to see some sample pages.) £10-12 Bid: £10 Bidder No. 2 41. The British Fire Mark 1680-1879 by Brian Wright. Published in 1982. A comprehensive list of all British Fire Insurance Companies from the first Friendly Society Fire mark 1683 to those in the early 20th century that were used mainly for business and promotional activities, a used copy. (Click the photo to see some sample pages.) £12-15 Bid: £10 Bidder No. 4 End of Sale