London Assurance "Incorporated A.D. 1720" Embossed Steel Fire Mark Plaque

Bold gilt lettering arcs around a jet-black ground — LONDON ASSURANCE INCORPORATED A.D. 1720 — framing a raised red central medallion with a gilt-relief seated nude figure of Britannia holding a spear aloft, a small nude angel figure playing an English harp at her side, and a shield-and-globe at her feet. The three-dimensional embossed relief gives the piece the presence of an architectural element rather than a flat sign, and the color combination — black, gold, and red — is as striking now as it was when these marks were designed to catch the eye from the street.

Fire marks were embossed advertising signs in tin, lead, copper, or cast iron, affixed to the fronts of insured buildings in the 1700s and 1800s to identify the property to a company's private fire brigade — long before municipal fire services existed. They told arriving firefighters which house was covered and by whom, and the early ones were painted in bold, eye-catching colors precisely for that purpose. London Assurance, chartered by royal decree under the Bubble Act of 1720 alongside the Royal Exchange Assurance, was one of only two corporations legally permitted to underwrite marine insurance in Britain for over a century. This is pressed steel finished in gilt and polychrome with strong dimensional relief and pre-drilled corner holes for wall mounting.

CONDITION

Good. Scratches, scuffing, and minor dings throughout consistent with display age; no remarkable damage. Gilt lettering remains bright and the painted surfaces are notably well-presented; red ground shows minor paint loss with a small area of exposure near the central medallion.

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Overall: 11 3/4" H × 10" W × 1 1/4" D
• Construction: Embossed steel
• Finish: Painted black ground with gilt lettering and red central medallion
• Mounting: Pre-drilled holes at corners for wall installation