Fire mark

Fire marks were placed on the outside of buildings to indicate that the property was insured by a specific company. This identification was particularly important in London before the introduction of street numbering in the 1760s. Householders with fire insurance could expect the company to send its 'fire brigade' to put out the fire. Insurance companies often had reciprocal arrangements with each other so that if a fire brigade put out a fire at a house insured by a different company then the brigade's company would be reimbursed. In 1826 an agreement was reached between the Sun Fire office, the Royal Exchange Assurance and the Phoenix Fire Office to combine their brigades under the leadership of one superintendent. This provided the basis for the creation of the London Fire Engine Establishment in 1833.

This fire mark was issued by the Royal Exchange Assurance Company which was established in 1720. It features the Company's emblem, the second Royal Exchange built in 1669 and destroyed by fire in 1838. The mark usually features a royal crown on the top, but this has been removed from this example. Irish Nationalist policy holders sometimes cut off the crowns from their fire marks to express their opposition to the British monarchy.