Fire Mark Circle Auction Catalogue: July 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. Winning Bid & Bidder No. 1. Selection of Fire Marks in various condition to include. Norwich Union. Tin. W29Q. Scuffing to raised parts. Reliance. Tin. B967. Surface rusting. Royal. Copper. W95E. No original colour. Royal. Copper. W95B. Missing top circle. West of England. Tin. W48D. Surface rust and missing T from the panel. Phoenix. Copper. W23G. Missing spear tip. (6) £30-40 Bid: £40 Bidder No. 3 2. Victorian Truncheon. A lovely example of this small Parish Constable’s truncheon in a Parker Field pattern, as detailed in Mervyn Mitton’s " The Policeman’s Lot," still showing the original crown and VR, measuring 28 cms, (11 inches) probably used after the Tipstaffs were withdrawn in the 1870s, and possibly from Norfolk. (Reduced estimate.) £80-100 Bid: £75 Bidder No. 18 3. American Reproduction Fire Marks. to include a presentation mounted Mutual Ins. Co. mark. B22 (green tree), which was presented to the Chairman of the FMC by the Officers of the AFMC, dated 1965, together with a smaller Squatty Oval. B40, and a Fire Assoc. of Philadelphia. B87.Plus two smaller examples of Miniature marks mounted on wooden boards. (q) £45-50 Not Sold 4. Selection of British reproduction copper Fire Marks, to include. Shropshire & North Wales (W89A). Norwich Union (W29A). London Assurance. (W9I) Salop. (W20B). together with unissued Guardian & Reliance tin promotional marks. (6) £20-30 Bid: £35 Bidder No. 3 5. British Fire Office. Copper. W30E. A good example of this second last variant, no original colour or flattening to the lion. £40-50 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 16 6. Globe Insurance Co. Tin. W38E. An excellent example of this mark still retaining its original colour and the shadowed lettering on the panel. £50-60 Bid: £65 Bidder No. 17 7. Hampshire. Sussex & Dorset. Copper. W39B. An excellent example of this rarely seen mark from a small regional company, producing only two marks, no evidence of the original background red colour or flattening to Vesta. £80-90 Bid: £170 Bidder No. 4 8. Norwich Union Fire & Life Ass. Co. Copper. W29C. A very good example of the third of eleven variants, no surface damage or flattening to the clasped hands. £50-60 Bid: £160 Bidder No. 20 9. Wiltshire & Western Ass. Soc. Copper. W26B. Policy No.7723. An excellent example of this second variant still showing remnants of the policy number and the text on the top ribbon. £80-90 Bid: £110 Bidder No. 11 10. Norwich Union Fire & Life Ass. Co. Tin. W29G(i). A very good example of this tin variant, some surface rusting and surprisingly no damage or missing parts. £50-60 Bid: £65 Bidder No. 17 11. Birmingham Fire Office Co. Brass. W42D. A near mint example of this small circular mark, the last to be produced by the company, possibly unissued. £40-50 Bid: £80 Bidder No. 12 12. Leicester Fire Office. Tin. W84A. A good example of another small circular mark, the only one issued by the company in its nine years of trading, some original colour and gilding. £40-50 Bid: £75 Bidder No. 2 13. Norwich Union Fire & Life Ass. Co. Copper. W29F(i). A very good example of the sixth of eleven variants, some original gilding, and no flattening to the hands. £50-60 Bid: £110 Bidder No. 20 14. Norwich General Ass. Co. Copper. W28D. A very good example of the last mark issued before being amalgamated with the Norwich Union, no surface damage or flattening to the castle. £70-80 Bid: £80 Bidder No. 12 15. Kent Insurance Co. Copper. W36C. A good example of this mark, no original colour, or flattening to the horse forcene. £50-60 Bid: £150 Bidder No. 4 16. Northern Assurance Co. Copper. W88A. A good example of this early mark from an Aberdeen company, no original colour or flattening to the shield. PLUS. Northern Assurance Co. Tin. B877. A good example of this later variant primarily for overseas use, and to promote business, notably Cyprus. (2) £60-70 Bid: £45 Bidder No. 18 17. Queen Insurance Co. Copper. W99A. A good example of the first of five variants from this Liverpool company, all original colour with some dulling and scuffing, the company was eventually merged with the Royal. £60-70 Bid: £50 Bidder No. 19 18. West of England Fire Ins. Co. Copper. W48G. A very good example of the last mark to be issued by this Exeter company, with Alfred in silhouette and retaining some original colour, one of the better examples seen for some time. £60-70 Bid: £150 Bidder No. 4 19. Salop Fire Office. Copper. W20B. A very good example of the second of two marks issued by the company, some original colour showing beneath green, house paint. £40-50 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 3 20. Imperial Fire Ins. Co. Copper. W40C. A good example of this variant showing some gilding on the crown and panel. PLUS. Another similar Imperial. Tin. W40G. repainted in original colours. (2) £60-70 Bid: £40 Bidder No. 18 21. Patriotic Assurance Co. Tin. B847. An excellent example of this later variant primarily used for business and promotion. PLUS. Patriotic Assurance Co. Tin. A73J-TI. Another excellent later variant that was "Guaranteed by the Sun" who had been working with the company since 1883 when it opened its Dublin office. (2) £60-70 Bid: £40 Bidder No. 18 22. Lancashire Insurance Co. Copper. W98A. An excellent example of the first of two marks issued by the company still retaining its original colour and gilding, no flattening or surface damage. £50-60 Bid: £80 Bidder No. 12 23. London Assurance. Copper. W9H(i). A very good example of this last copper variant issued in 1808 and still retaining its original colour and gilding, with its not often seen spear tip. £80-90 Bid: £120 Bidder No. 2 24. Norwich Union. Copper. W29N. A good example of this variant with the inset clasped hands oval, no original colour or flattening to Justice. PLUS. Norwich Union. Copper. W29O. A good example of this later mark with the gilding and black background, still on Justice and the lettering, no flattening to the figure. (2) £50-60 Bid: £60 Bidder No. 20 25. Union Fire Office. Copper. W4F. A good example of this early company’s later mark issued in 1865, no original colour, or any surface damage to the clasped hands. £40-50 Bid: £55 Bidder No. 2 26. Queen Insurance Co. Copper. W99D. A good example of this last variant of six to be issued by the company, all original dulled colour on the shield with some minor scuffing. £40-50 Bid: £40 Bidder No. 18 27. Liverpool & London Fire & Life Ass. Co. Copper. W96A. A good example of this one issue company mark covered in green house paint, no surface damage or fraying at the edges. PLUS. Liverpool & London & Globe. Tin. B946. An excellent example of this later lithographed mark used for overseas business when the two companies merged. (2) £60-70 Bid: £55 Bidder No. 18 28. Royal Insurance Co. Copper. W95D. A very good example of this variant, showing the Liver Birds wings of equal length, with all original colour, some scuffing to the raised parts. £40-50 Bid: £30 Bidder No. 16 29. County Fire Office. Copper. W45B. A good example of this second variant, some original gilding, no red background colour. PLUS. County Fire Office. Copper. W45F. A near mint example of this last variant issued in 1875. (2) £50-60 Bid: £45 Bidder No. 18 30. National Union Fire Office. Tin. B989. A mint copy of this later 19th century mark used for promotion and business. £40-50 Bid: £25 Bidder No. 18 31. Norwich Union Fire & Life Ass. Co. Copper. W29L. A very good example of this Gaudiano variant designed by the Agency Inspector in 1860, all original colour, somewhat scuffed and still retaining the top and bottom torches. £70-80 Bid: £110 Bidder No. 7 The following fire marks are from the extensive collection of the late Bill Evenden a member of both the FMCA and the Fire Mark Circle for over 50 years. 32. Norwich General Assurance. Co. Lead. W28A. Policy No.2998. A very good example of this early mark issued in the 1790s with the company lasting only 30 years before amalgamating with the Norwich Union, a stress fracture between the 9s on the panel, a fine example of this mark. £140-160 Bid: £120 Bidder No. 12 33. Dundee Assurance Co. Lead. W22A. Policy No. 525. Another very good example of this rarely seen Scottish mark probably issued in 1782, the first year of business, still showing some original colour and a small solder repair on the back of the panel. £200-220 Bid: £380 Bidder No. 2 34. Bristol Universal Fire Office. Lead. W15A. Policy No. (Painted). A good example of this very rare mark, with only a few known to exist, from a company that was only in business for four years, some surface damage to the raised parts and the policy panel, one of only three marks to show firemen. £1500-1700 Bid: £620 Bidder No. 9 35. London Assurance. Lead. W9G. (London on the policy panel). An excellent example of this later lead variant not often seen at auction, issued in 1805, no surface damage, with its spear tip missing. £160-180 Bid: £180 Bidder No. 8 36. Norwich Union Fire Insurance Soc. Lead. W29A. A very good example of the first and only lead mark issued by the company despite producing another twenty different variants in copper and tin, the gilding of the UNION on the panel is barely legible, small, repaired stress fracture on the left-hand cuff. £160-180 Bid: £320 Bidder No. 7 37. Royal Exchange Assurance. Lead. W10A. Policy No. 571. A very good example of this very early company mark, known as The Mickey Mouse, due to its resemblance to the cartoon character, issued in 1721 the year after it began business. Struggling at first due to the aftermath of South Sea Bubble problems, very few of these marks have come to light and in the past prices have reached the high thousands, this example originally came from the Royal Exchange collection, and is illustrated in Wright, slight bending to the top of the crown. £1800-2000 Bid: £1520 Bidder No. 10 38. Glasgow Insurance Co. Lead. W34A. A very good example of this rare Scottish mark, taken from a building in North Fredrick St in 1932, despite being the largest city and only lasting some forty years due to the small number of premiums collected, the business was passed to the Sun in 1841. £200-220 Bid: £720 Bidder No. 9 39 Worcester Fire Office. Lead. W27A. Policy No 128. A very good example of this must have mark for the serious collector and still retaining some original colour and gilding on the crest, part of top tab missing, the company only lasted twenty-eight years before being taken over by the Phoenix, both maintained a permanent brigade up until the local authority took over. £600-700 Bid: £440 Bidder No. 8 40. Manchester Fire office. Lead. W14A. Policy No. 1683. A very good example of this short-lived early company, 1771-1788, despite issuing thousands of policies before it succumbed to the Phoenix, it was well known at the time that they used the Sun’s documents to issue policies due in part to one of the directors also working for the Sun. £500-600 Bid: £340 Bidder No. 9 41. Royal Exchange Assurance. Lead. W10D. Policy No. 31580. A very good example of this early variant issued in 1755, still showing its red background colour and gilding, tip of the crown missing. £120-140 Bid: £160 Bidder No. 2 42. Hand in Hand. Lead. W2D(ii). The last of the lead marks produced by the company in the 1840s showing the name on the panel as opposed to the policy number, although it did produce a similar copper mark a few years later, with much original background colour and gilding, minor strengthening between the hands and the crown rarely seen at our auctions. £180-200 Bid: £160 Bidder No. 2 43. Royal Exchange Assurance. Lead. W10J. Policy No. 242889. A very good example of this later variant still having a stamped policy number, issued in 1808, still showing its red background colour and gilding, no surface damage. £50-60 Bid: £85 Bidder No. 17 44. Liverpool Fire Office. Lead. W17A. Policy No. 5477. A very good example of another regional Company’s single mark, despite only lasting eighteen years and issuing several thousand policies, it ran a successful fire brigade despite a poor water supply, once again it was taken over by the Phoenix, like its near neighbour Manchester. £500-600 Bid: £370 Bidder No. 12 End of Sale