FIRE MARK: Insurance Company of North America (INA) Cast Metal Eagle-SIGN/MARKER

Description

Insurance Company of North America
(INA-CIGNA)
The Eagle Fire Mark 1796
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 Zürich
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 LeGrand, a French sculptor then living in Philadelphia.
This Eagle Mark measures approximately 8.50" X 11.0", is of metal construction and was cast by John Wright. It is painted black and has a raised gold eagle perched on a bush.. It is in good condition, with characteristics of its age and exposure to the elements - paint loss/chipping. All this adds to a great vintage/antique look and feel in its appearance.
This is a really nice item and would make an excellent addition for any collector of fire marks, insurance company memorabilia, or a great gift for a firefighter, insurance agent/broker, or an insurance company employee/retiree.
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 suffer greatly if the building was 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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