Birmingham Fire Office Company Fire Mark
date: label: date made
content: 1805-1867
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: Beginning in the late 17th century, English insurance companies maintained private fire brigades that were paid to respond to fires at properties they insured. Properties were identified by leaden badges (fire marks) bearing a insurance company’s emblem and often stamped with the customer’s policy number.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The Birmingham Fire Office Company of Birmingham, England issued this copper fire mark between 1805 and 1867. The circular mark features a raised image of a fireman alongside a hand pumped fire engine. Underneath the image is raised text that reads “Birmingham.” The company was founded in 1805 and operated until 1867, when it was taken over by the Lancashire Insurance Company.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England
topic: label: classified
content: Fire Fighting
label: Subject
content: Insurance
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Fire Fighting and Law Enforcement
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content: Cultures & Communities
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content: Advertising
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content: Work
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content: Firefighting Collection
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content: Fire Marks
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of CIGNA Museum and Art Collection
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2005.0233.0566
label: catalog number
content: 2005.0233.0566
label: accession number
content: 2005.0233
objectType: label: Object Name
content: fire mark
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: copper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 11 in x 10 in; 27.94 cm x 25.4 cm