Fire Mark Circle Auction Catalogue: January 2023 Bidding in this auction is now ended, thank you to all vendors and bidders. Results and winning bidder numbers are as shown below. 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. Shropshire & North Wales. Brass. W89B. An excellent example of this second variant still showing its original gilding and background colour, no flattening to the feathers or any surface damage. £40-50 Bid: £85 Bidder No. 8 2. Union Fire Office Arm Badge No.1. Copper. An excellent example of a reproduction of an 18th century Porter’s badge of the Union Fire Office, made by Vaughton Bros of Birmingham, dating from the 1920s and primarily used for advertising purpose. £30-40 Bid: £65 Bidder No. 18 3. Philadelphia Contributionship 1752-1820. Lead. B12. A very good example of this early American mark from about 1819 from the first American company to issue insurance on property, mounted on a shield shaped board showing signs of age and previous woodworm. £70-90 Bid: £90 Bidder No. 5 4. Westminster Insurance Office. Lead. W5C(iii) Policy No 52947. An excellent example of the last lead mark to be issued by the company in 1803, no original colour or gilding, no surface damage and clean nail holes. £120-150 Bid: £110 Bidder No. 6 5. Phoenix Assurance Company. Copper. W23J(ii). A near mint example of this copper variant issued at the beginning of the 1820s, all original colour, earlier similar marks had the familiar diagonally placed spear. £60-80 Bid: £110 Bidder No. 8 6. Caledonian Insurance Company. Enamel. W43A-C. A mint example of this later issued mark primarily for overseas and business use. £40-50 Bid: £55 Bidder No. 15 7. Guardian Fire & Life Assurance Company. Copper. W57C. A good example of this rarely seen variant, showing a departure from the original design of the full length Athene, no surface damage, the raised borders have been repainted. £50-60 Bid: £95 Bidder No. 14 8. Caledonian Insurance Company. Copper. W43C. A near mint example of this later variant issued by the oldest surviving Insurance Company in Scotland, later to be allied with the Guardian. £40-50 Bid: £45 Bidder No. 19 9. Farmers & General Fire & Life Ins. Copper. W92B. A good example of this second variant normally seen in zinc, issued in the early 1840s, and not usually seen with a black background as in Addis 94B-C. £35-45 Bid: £65 Bidder No. 8 10. Caledonian Insurance Company. Enamel. A43B-ETI (not in Wright or Bulau). A very good example of this small 9cm circular mark primarily used for overseas business, it was originally the centrepiece of a larger square blue mark, with Addis and Evenden referencing its use in Cyprus. £80-90 Bid: £40 Bidder No. 15 11. Sun Fire Office. Copper. B551. A good example of this not often seen later circular mark, one of a pair issued for overseas use, the other more common variant had lettering round the outer band. PLUS. Sun Fire Office. Copper. W3H. A very good example of the first copper mark, issued in 1839 and still showing its original gilding and intact nailing lugs, no flattening to the sun. £40-50 Bid: £45 Bidder No. 17 12. British Fire Office. Lead. W30C. A good example of this early mark issued in the early 1800s, no original colour or flattening to the lion, minor repair to bottom letters I and S. £90-110 Bid: £50 Bidder No. 9 13. Manchester Fire & Life Assurance Company. Tin. W71C. A good example of this early tin variant, all original colours and gilding, no flattening to the shield or other surface damage. £30-40 Bid: £70 Bidder No. 8 14. Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society. Copper. W29P. A very good example of this later variant still showing all its original colour and gilding, some slight scuffing to Justice and the lettering. £40-50 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 20 15. Protector Fire Insurance Company. Copper. W80A. A very good example of this short lived company’s mark, some original dulled colour and gilding, one of only two companies to show a uniformed fireman in action on their mark, no flattening or surface damage. £50-60 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 1 16. Royal Insurance Company. Copper.W95B. A good example of the second smaller variant, no original colour, some Verdigris, no missing parts and tidy edges. PLUS. Royal Insurance Company. Copper. W95B. Another similar example of this mark, showing a polished surface, no edge damage. £30-40 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 4 17. Alliance British & Foreign Fire & Life Assurance Company. Copper. W63A. A very good example of the first of three marks issued by the company in 1824, no original background colour but traces of gilding in the castle and panel, no surface damage or flattening to the castle, clean nail holes. £40-50 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 20 18. Northern Assurance Company. Tin. B879. A good example of this later variant, one of six from this Aberdeen company, primarily used for overseas business, some original colour round the shield, no rust or surface damage. £20-30 Bid: £20 Bidder No. 17 19. Queen Insurance Company. Copper. W99A. A good example of the first mark issued by the company in the 1850s, the mark was removed from the Queen Adelaide public house Penge in 1933, no original colour, no surface damage, covered in green paint, a nice example with an interesting history. £40-50 Bid: £85 Bidder No. 2 20. Yorkshire Fire & Life Insurance Company. Copper. W77B. A good example of this second issued mark in 1850 from a series of five variants, some original red background colour, no surface damage or flattening to the Minster. £30-40 Bid: £35 Bidder No. 20 21. Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society. Copper. W29O. A good example of this later variant, no original colour, no surface damage to Justice. PLUS. Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society. Copper. W29N. Another good example of this later company mark, no original colour no flattening or surface damage. £40-50 Bid: £45 Bidder No. 20 22. Manchester Fire & Life Assurance Company. Copper. W71C. A good example of this mark, no original colour, some gilding to the raised parts. £30-40 Bid: £35 Bidder No. 6 23. Birmingham Fire Office Company. Copper. W42C. A good example of this mark, one of only two companies to show a uniformed fireman of the period as their emblem. no original colour, no flattening to the fireman or pump. £40-50 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 17 24. Sun Fire Office. Lead. W3B. Policy No.257408. A good example of this early lead mark, issued in 1766, some original gilding on sun’s rays, no flattening to the sun’s face or tearing at the nail holes. £90-110 Bid: £110 Bidder No. 4 25. Phoenix Assurance Company. Copper. W23G. A good example of the first copper mark issued in 1800 with a painted number panel, no number visible, no original colour or flattening to the Phoenix, spear tip missing. PLUS. Phoenix Assurance Company. Copper. W23J(i). Another good example of this later company mark issued in 1820 along with a similar one with no diagonal spear W23J(ii), some black background colour and gilding to the panel and Phoenix remain, no flattening and spear tip missing. £35-45 Bid: £40 Bidder No. 17 26. Sun Fire Office. Lead. W3D. Policy No. 744379 A good example of this early lead mark, issued in 1801, some original gilding, no flattening to the sun’s face or tearing at the nail holes. £80-90 Bid: £75 Bidder No. 1 27. Imperial Fire Insurance Company. Copper. A40C. A good example of this 64 pearl variant, the third of eight marks issued by the company, no original colour and no flattening to the crown. £30-40 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 17 28. County Fire Office. Copper. W45B. A very good example of the second mark to be issued by the company, all original colour and gilding, no flattening to Britannia. PLUS. County Fire Office. Copper. W45E. A fair example of this last mark to be issued showing a departure from usual rectangle to a larger circular shape, some original colour, fraying at the edges and the bottom garter tab missing. £35-45 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 17 29. Patriotic Assurance Company. Tin. B847. An excellent example of this later mark in full original colour, no surface damage to the raised lithograph. £30-40 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 15 30. West of England Fire Insurance Company. Copper. W48B. A good example of this second of seven variants issued by the company which was in business in Exeter for the whole of the 19th century, no original colour, some gilding to the letters and recessed parts, some Verdigris, a clean undamaged mark. £40-50 Bid: £35 Bidder No. 4 31. Atlas Assurance Company. Copper. W50A. A fair example of this only copper mark issued in the early 1800s, no original colour or flattening to the globe, some fraying along the edges. PLUS. Commercial Union Assurance. Tin. W100A. A poor example of this only tin mark to be issued by the company in 1861, most of their business came after the Tooley Street Fire, taking business from the established companies. £20-30 Bid: £10 Bidder No. 7 32. District Fire Office. Copper. W83E. A very good example of the last mark to be issued by the company before it passed to the Alliance in 1864, still showing its dulled original colour, slight scuffing to the raised parts. £35-40 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 20 33. Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society. Tin. W29P. A near mint example of this second last variant to be issued by the company, all original colour and no damage to the lithographed image. £30-40 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 20 34. London Assurance. Tin. W9I. A very good example of this mid-19th century mark still showing all its original colour. PLUS. Royal Insurance Company. Copper. W95B. A good example of the second smaller variant, some original dulled colour, some Verdigris, no missing parts and some fraying edges. £30-40 Bid: £35 Bidder No. 4 35. Phoenix Assurance Company. Tin. B687. A very good example of this much sought after later lithographed mark, showing all original colour, some slight scuffing to the phoenix. £40-60 Bid: £70 Bidder No. 2 36. Sun Fire Office. Copper. W3H. A fair example of this first copper mark to be issued in the 1830s, no original colour, some partial gilding to the sun’s rays, some Verdigris, and tearing at the lugs. PLUS. Sun Fire Office. Copper. W3I. An excellent unissued example of this second copper mark issued in 1850, all original colour and gilding, some slight scuffing to the sun’s face. £40-50 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 20 37. County Fire Office. Copper. W45B. A good example of this second variant, no original colour, no damage to Britannia, some tearing at the nail holes. PLUS. Guardian Fire & Life Assurance Company. Copper. W57B. A good example of this variant, no original colour, no flattening to Athene or damage to the nail holes. £30-40 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 1 38. Royal Exchange Assurance. Lead. W10K. A good example of the last lead variant issued by the company in 1810, no original colour, some slight surface marks. £20-30 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 4 End of Sale