Insurance Company of North America (INA-CIGNA)

 The Lone Star Fire Mark 1794

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 $1,000,000.

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 Lone Star Fire Mark was INA's original symbol in 1794, before they changed it in 1796 to the more familiar Eagle Fire Mark. The original was a wavy six pointed star, cast in lead and mounted on a wooden shield. This mark measures approximately 9.0" X 11.5" and is of metal (non-ferrous) construction and cast by John Wright. It has a brown shield with a cream colored star. There is paint chipping and oxidation on the mark from exposure to the elements.

This is a really nice item and one that is not often seen for sale. It 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.