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ROYAL
GLOBE FIRE MARK
The
Royal Globe's Operation in America has been involved in
many historical events. The Royal was the insurance company that had
a majority of the coverage exposure for the 1906 San
Francisco earthquake and fire, as well as that for the crash of
the air ship "Hindenberg"
The
original Royal fire mark had a crest/ornate shield shape with
border on it and was made of cooper. It was green with a
red banner with the word Royal on it. Above the banner was a
crown and below it was a Liver Bird, which was symbolic of the
city of Liverpool, England - the first home of Royal
Insurance.
This mark is of heavy (3.5 lbs) cast
iron construction and measures approximately 10" X 12" and
is an early John Wright casting. It is in good condition with only
very minor nicks/chips and red paint loss around the word Royal, as
seen in the pictures.. This mark is rare and not one of the ones that
is regularly seen up for sale.
This
would make an excellent addition for any collector of firefighting or
insurance memorabilia, an agent/broker, or a company
employee/retiree.
HISTORY
OF THE ROYAL GLOBE
The
Royal Insurance Company was established in the major commercial
center of Liverpool on May 31, 1845, to provide insurance
coverage "... against the risk of loss or damage by fire or by
storm or by other casualty ..." on all types of property, and to
provide life insurance and annuities. The capital of the company was
£2 million, divided into 100,000 shares of £20.
Expansion
overseas began immediately, and by 1850 agencies had been established
in Australia, Canada, Singapore, and South
America. The company's operations in the United States, which
would have a major effect on its financial position, began in 1851
when the first agency was opened in New
York. Baltimore, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Savannah, Georgia;
and Charleston, South Carolina, each had an agency by the
end of the year. By the time the company arrived in San
Francisco in April 1853, agencies had been established in a
total of ten U.S. cities.
In
1919, the biggest merger in British insurance history took place when
the Royal acquired the enormously successful Liverpool and London and
Globe Insurance Company. The latter was established in Liverpool in
1836 as the Liverpool Fire and Life Insurance Company and had risen
to an eminent position principally through acquisition. In 1847 it
purchased the business of the London, Edinburgh and
Dublin Insurance Company and in 1864 it merged with the
long-established Globe Insurance Company. The Royal and the Liverpool
and London and Globe were the major provincial insurance
companies of the late 19th century.
In
July 1996 the Sun Alliance Group plc and Royal Insurance Holdings
plc, a merger that created Royal & Sun Alliance Insurance Group
plc (RSA). The new group started off as the largest composite
insurance company in the United Kingdom and Europe.
The Sun Fire Office, as it was originally known, was founded in 1710.
Its founder was the eccentric Charles Povey, whose interest in
astronomy may have influenced his choice of name. Sun Alliance
Insurance Office, retained its separate identity for almost 250 years
until its 1959 merger with the Alliance Assurance Company, founded in
1824.