Dear Donna,
This cast iron plaque was mounted on our shed door. We removed it when the shed was replaced and now would like to know a little more about it. It weighs around 10 pounds and is 11 inches wide and 8.5 inches tall. Anything you can tell me will be greatly appreciated.
Ellen
Dear Ellen,
What was in your shed is a reproduction of a fire marker. This one was representing The United Firemen’s Insurance Co. These markers were used back in the 1800s on homes to show the owners were insured. They were mounted on the exterior of the home in full view.
To find an original one is tough, and there are reproductions out there. There are many ways to tell a reproduction from an authentic one; you can find much of this information online. The interesting point I found was that the originals were never painted in red. Gold was colorized to show up clearly.
With so many reproductions around today, the market for even the older ones is in the range of $20 to $30. For more information, check out the history of fire markers. I found it all very interesting.