FIRE MARK Authentic Philadelphia Contributionship Hand in Hand Marker NOS BU 21

Description

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Philadelphia Contributionship
Hand in Hand
The Philadelphia Contributionship is best known for being America's Oldest Insurance Company, having been founded in March 1752 by the famous Benjamin Franklin.
Their fire mark was modeled after the one issued by the Amicable Contributionship of London. “Contribution” was defined as “that which is given by several hands for some common purpose” symbolized by the company’s claspped hands logo. Their mark had four hands crossed and clasped in a form commonly known as “Jacob’s Chair”. As was the case with the Amicable  Contributionship, the Philadelphia Contributionship also became known in  America as the Hand in Hand. The clasped hands were of lead construction  mounted on a wood shield. The first100 were cast by John Snow, who later  recast the Liberty Bell.
When the first Continental Congress met in 1774, the location was Carpenter’s Hall, a Philadelphia building cooperatively owned by local carpenters. Housed on the hall’s second floor was the Library Company, another cooperative founded by Ben Franklin. In fact, the Continental Congress used the Library Company’s books as it drafted the documents that gave birth to the United States of America. Both Carpenter’s Hall and the Library Company were insured, of course, by the Philadelphia Contributionship.
This is an authentic Philadelphia Contributionship
Fire Mark which is documented in “Footprints of Assurance” (authoritative source for fire marks), as BU 21 on page 28.
It has four
metal clasped hands with thumbs up mounted on a thick dark stained mahogany
plaque/shield issued in the 1900's. The mark measures approximately 10.0” X 15.0” X 1.25". Great vintage fire mark in New Old Stock (NOS) condition and has never been mounted for display.
American insurance company's fire marks were placed on the exterior of a house
and were intended to discourage malicious arson by showing that the owner
would not greatly suffer if the building were destroyed. Additionally, the mark
stood as a guarantee to fire brigades that the insurance company which insured
the house in question would reward handsomely the brigade extinguishing a blaze
on the premises.
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