Fire Mark Circle Auction Catalogue: April 2025 Bidding in this auction has now ended. Thank you to all vendors and bidders. Final prices and winning bidder numbers are as 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. Highest Bid & Bidder No. 1. Sun Fire Office. Lead. W3C. Policy No. 538391. A fair example of this early mark, issued in 1786, no original colour, flattening to the Sun’s face and some damage to the bottom right panel. £50-70 Bid: £50 Bidder No. 2 2. Commercial Union Assurance. Enamelled tin. B914.A fair example of this rare circular variant, showing its original colour, some chipping at the nail holes and on the raised flag, these were used primarily in the Dominions due to the temperate climate and the ability of the enamel to withstand the weather conditions. PLUS. Phoenix Assurance Co. Tin. B687/A23N(ii)-TI. An excellent example of this later lithographed variant primarily used for promotional purposes, some minor scuffing to the edges. (2) £70-80 Bid: £75 Bidder No. 12 3. Sun Fire Office. Lead. W3C.Policy No. 606853. A good example of this third variant issued to Peter Garforth & Samuel Sidgwick of York for their Cotton Mills as shown on the attached policy, they also held the subsequent policy No. 606854 for similar properties, unfortunately there is no fire mark for this Policy, some flattening to the Sun’s face and enlarging to some nail holes. £50-70 Bid: £60 Bidder No. 28 4. Norwich Union Fire Ins. Soc. Tin. W29G(i). A very good example of this seventh variant with surprisingly no damage and little surface rusting, some background colour still showing. £50-60 Bid: £110 Bidder No. 7 5. Bristol Union Fire & Life Ins. Co. Tin. W45E. An excellent example of a tin mark from this short-lived company 1818-1844 before being purchased by the Imperial, no surface rust and clean edges and nail holes. £50-60 Bid: £110 Bidder No. 12 6. County Fire Office. Copper. W45E. A very good example of this circular variant showing no surface damage and all original colour and gilding, and unusually still having its garter tab intact. £50-60 Bid: £70 Bidder No. 12 7. Licensed Victuallers & General Fire & Life Ins. Co. Copper. W86A. An excellent example of this single-issue mark from a company which was only in business for 22 years before changing its name and subsequently being absorbed into the Liverpool & London, no colour or surface damage or flattening to the Grapes. £60-70 Bid: £130 Bidder No. 24 8. The English Insurance Co. Ltd. Tin. B1028/A188A-TI. A near mint example of this rare early 20th century mark from a company in business for only four years, issuing only one mark before passing to the General Accident. £60-70 Bid: £190 Bidder No. 7 9. Empress Assurance Corporation. Copper. B994/A152A-C. An excellent example of this single-issue short-lived company’s mark 1895-1898, before being taken over by the Eastern Counties and finally wound up in 1903, no surface damage to Victoria and clean nail holes, all original colour. £80-90 Bid: £225 Bidder No. 11 10. Salop Fire Office. Copper. W20B. A good example of this copper variant the second of two to be issued by the company, some original gilding and minor stress fractures to the leopards’ heads. £40-50 Bid: £40 Bidder No. 9 11. Sun Fire Office. Lead. W3C.Policy No. 441312. A very good example of this early mark issued in 1781, no original colour, no flattening to the Sun’s face and clean nail holes. £80-90 Bid: £80 Bidder No. 4 12. Sun Fire Office. Tin. W3E. Policy No. 850995. A very good example of this later tin mark issued in 1811, no original colour, no flattening to the Sun’s face and clean nail holes. PLUS. Sun Fire Office. Tin. W3F. A fair example of this first unnumbered tin mark, some surface rusting and missing parts to the edges and sun’s rays. (2) £70-80 Bid: £70 Bidder No. 4 13. Patriotic Insurance Co. of Ireland. Tin W73AB. An excellent example of this early tin variant from a company based in Dublin, with business mainly restricted to Ireland and early on acquiring the St Partick Company which could not meet its debts, no original colour, no flattening to the central figure of Patriotism, and clean nail holes. £80-90 Bid: £100 Bidder No. 12 14. Royal Exchange Assurance. Lead. W10J. Policy No.172787. A very good example of the last mark to retain a policy number on the panel, issued in 1799, no original colour and clearly struck policy numbers. £40-50 Bid: £80 Bidder No. 12 15. Bath Sun Fire Office. Copper. W16B. A very good example of this second variant from the company, no original colour, some gilding to the sun’s face and rays no flattening to the sun’s face, the company ran six engines in conjunction with the Bath Fire Office and was later taken over by the Sun. £70-80 Bid: £100 Bidder No. 12 16. Guardian Fire & Life Assurance Co. Copper. W57C. A very good example of this rarer third variant, contrasting with the previous marks in only showing Athene’s head as opposed to the full figure, no surface damage, some fraying at the edges and clean nail holes. £70-80 Bid: £140 Bidder No. 12 17. West of England Fire Ins. Co. Copper. W48F. An excellent example of this multi-issue variants, from a West Country company based in Exeter, eight in total all showing King Alfred in various poses, some original dulled colour, no surface damage or flattening to Alfred. £60-70 Bid: £75 Bidder No. 28 18. Protector Fire Ins. Co. Copper. W80A. A very good example of this mark, from a company lasting only ten years before being taken over by the Phoenix and only one of two to show a fireman in action, the other being Birmingham, no original colour or surface damage, the image of the fireman was based on a painting by R Smirke. R A. £50-60 Bid: £45 Bidder No. 21 19. Royal Exchange Assurance. Lead. W10D. Policy No. 92825, issued in 1785. A very good example of this early five figure numbered mark. no original colour or flattening to the Exchange, a clean mark with no surface damage. £130-140 Bid: £130 Bidder No. 12 20. Royal Exchange Assurance. Lead. W10E. Policy No. 107569, issued in 1788. A good example of this variant repainted and gilded in original colours, some repairs to the reattached crown, with the centre oval sloping to the side. £70-80 Bid: £70 Bidder No. 4 21. New Bristol Fire Office. Copper. W12C. A very good example of the last of three variants from this early company, issued in 1807 no original colour, most original gilding, some evidence of lettering and no flattening to the castle. £80-90 Bid: £80 Bidder No. 8 22. Shropshire & North Wales Ass. Co. Brass. W89B. An excellent example of this brass mark in this unusual material, the second of two brass variants only in lower relief, all original colour with some slight scuffing to the raised parts and minor stress fractures to the feathers. £70-80 Bid: £140 Bidder No. 12 23. Wiltshire & Western Ass. Soc. Copper. W26B. An excellent example of this mark, no original colour, no painted policy number visible, a clean undamaged example and one not to be missed. £80-90 Bid: £85 Bidder No. 24 24. Phoenix Assurance Co. Lead. W23A. Policy No. 14890. A very good example of the first of many variants produced by the company issued in 1795, the company was formed by the London sugar bakers in the late 1700s to take on the larger established Sun and Royal Exchange, good clear stamping of the policy number and no surface damage, spear tip reattached. Revised estimate. £180-200 £150-170 Bid: £130 Bidder No. 27 25. British Fire Office. Lead. W30B. An excellent example of the not often seen second of two lead marks issued by the company, the other variants being copper, no surface damage or flattening to the lion, and clean nail holes, one for the discerning collector. £180-200 Bid: £190 Bidder No. 10 26. Norwich General Assurance Co. Lead. W28A. Policy No. 2604 issued in the later 1790s with the company only lasting 30 years before amalgamating with the Norwich Union. A good example of the mark with some slight stress fractures to the panel between the 6 and 0, and some roughing to the top rim. £140-150 Bid: £120 Bidder No. 25 27. Bristol Crown Fire Office. Lead. W6C. A very good example of the third of four lead marks to be issued by this early company lasting only 19 years, the first company to be founded outside London but still had the London Coffee House foundations, no surface damage with clean nail holes, some original colour to the crown with the panel being professionally reattached, a common feature with this variant, it was later purchased by the Sun, and strangely not for their business but for their engine house, two fire engines and furniture. £140-150 Bid: £150 Bidder No. 11 28. Manchester Fire & Life Ass. Co. Tin. Similar to W71E. An excellent example of this later mark, all original colour, no scuffing to the shield, and showing the Arabic text, primarily used for promotional and overseas business. £60-70 Bid: £100 Bidder No. 24 29. Westminster Insurance Office. Copper. W5D. A fair example of this last mark to be issued by the company originally known as the Fire Office and due to a boardroom split by the breakaway directors of the Hand in Hand formed the new company, some missing parts at the nail holes, middle and bottom, all original gilding. £60-70 Bid: £80 Bidder No. 12 30. Caledonian Insurance Co. Enamel. A43A(vi)-E. A near mint example of this later variant primarily used for overseas business due to the longevity of the enamel, small chip at the end of the ribbon. £40-50 Bid: £70 Bidder No. 12 31. Yorkshire Fire & Life Ins Co. Tin. B858. A very good example of this not often seen later lithographed variant, all original colour, some slight scuffing to the raised parts. £50-60 Bid: £130 Bidder No. 12 32. State Assurance Co. Tin. B983. A near mint example of the second of two variants from this late 19th century company before being taken over by the Royal Exchange, all original lithographed colour. £50-60 Bid: £160 Bidder No. 12 33. Reading Insurance Co. Copper. W60A. A good example of a rare mark from this short-lived company of less than 20 years 1822-1841, before being taken over by the Phoenix, some small stress fractures, and flattening to the circular shape, a rare example for the serious collector. £80-90 Bid: £100 Bidder No. 12 34. Queen Insurance Co. Tin. W99C. A good example of this later variant still showing some original background colour, no surface rust or flattening to Victoria. £50-60 Bid: £100 Bidder No. 25 35. Farmers & General Fire & Life Insurance Inst. Copper. W92A. A very good example of the first of only two marks, the rarer of the two issued in 1840, the other being the familiar zinc variant W92B, no surface damage and clean nail holes, no flattening to the wheatsheaf, it was noted that the Duke of Rutland was one of the Directors. £70-80 Bid: £95 Bidder No. 20 36. Yorkshire Fire & Life Ins Co. Copper. W77B. A very good example of this second variant, no original colour, some gilding to the minster, with clean nail holes. £60-70 Bid: £50 Bidder No. 8 37. Queen Insurance Co. Brass. W99B. A good example of this second variant some original background colour some damage to the nail holes, no flattening to Victoria, some fraying at the edges. £60-70 Bid: £85 Bidder No. 12 38. Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Fire & Life Assurance Co. Copper. W87B(i). A very good and original example of this earlier modified variant still showing most of the colour to the crest and uniquely still retaining the garter tab. £60-70 Bid: £70 Bidder No. 12 39. Atlas Assurance Co. Copper. W50A. A very good example of this single-issue company mark from another Cornhill Coffee House business, although a subsequent small tin oval was produced for overseas use, some original gilding, no flattening to Atlas or the Globe. £50-60 Bid: £50 Bidder No. 12 40 London & Lancashire Fire Insurance Co. Tin. W101A. A good example of this first of five variants, (also in copper) to be issued by this London company although most of the business took place around Liverpool and despite the economic difficulties of the mid 1800s it became one of the most successful companies, most original colour with some flaking blue background paint. £50-60 Bid: £35 Bidder No. 28 41. District Fire Office. Copper. W83A. A very good example of this first of five variants issued by this Birmingham company, no original colour and no surface damage or flattening to the shield, the company only lasted thirty years before passing to the Alliance. £50-60 Bid: £75 Bidder No. 6 42. BOOK. The British Fire Mark 1680-1879 by Brian Wright. A good unmarked copy showing and detailing the history and fire marks from all British Companies. (Sample pages can be viewed by clicking the photo. All are stock images.) £15-20 Bid: £15 Bidder No. 30 43. BOOK. British Fire Marks a Definitive Collection of colour Photographs of all British fire marks by Roy Addis. An excellent copy of one of 25 privately published books containing over 536 pages of A4 coloured fire marks together with their identification Addis numbers, amassed by Roy mainly from his own collection and that of the late Bill Evenden. Only two of these have previously come up for auction since they were published in 2004. (Sample pages can be viewed by clicking the photo. All are stock images.) £180-200 Bid: £300 Bidder No. 20 End of Sale (A number in brackets at the end of a description indicates the number of items in the lot where this exceeds one.)