FIRE MARK INA: Authentic Insurance Company of North America- NOS BU 53 MARKER

Description

Insurance Company of North America
(INA-CIGNA)
The Eagle Fire Mark
On November 19, 1792. A group of entrepreneurs led by John Nesbitt and another gentleman appropriately named Ebenezer Hazard, met in Philadelphia's Independence Hall, to create the Insurance Company of North America. INA wrote the first policy covering a ship and its cargo, in 1792. In 1794 they wrote the first life insurance policy, covering a sea captain.
When the great Chicago fire devastated that city in 1871, INA paid its claims in full. When five square miles of San Francisco were laid to ruins by the earthquake of 1906, INA was there. In 1920, INA expanded into the casualty insurance field and established the Indemnity Insurance Company of
North America. They opened for business with a capital of ,000,000.
In 1982, the Insurance Company of North America (INA), merged with the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company (CG) forming CIGNA. Before selling its property & casualty operation to the Bermuda-based ACE Insurance company in 1999, CIGNA was among the companies with the largest international network in the league of Alliance, AIG and Zurich
The Eagle Fire Mark was adopted in 1796 when INA changed from it's original (1792) symbol which was a six pointed star. The original Eagle Fire Mark was made of lead and was mounted on an oval wooden board with a widely beveled edge. The mark was created by Claudius Francis Le Grand, a French sculptor then living in Philadelphia.
This fire mark is made of tin. It has a black ring around a red background with raised gold eagle, lettering and trim. It measures 6 3/4" in diameter. This is an authentic fire mark from the Insurance Company of
North America
, listed in the "Footprint of Assurance" (the Authoritative Source for Fire Marks) as # BU 53 on page 35.
The mark was issued from 1929 till 1932 for policy holders of the Insurance Company of North America's (INA) Far East Operations in
Hong Kong
. The un-issued marks were returned to INA's Home office in
Philadelphia
at the end of World War II, were this one was found. While un-issued and in New Old Stock (NOS) condition, it does show some signs of it's age. This item would make an excellent addition for any collector of firefighting or insurance company memorabilia, an agent/broker or insurance company personnel.
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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