}
Hand in Hand
Established as a mutual society in London on 12 November 1696, the Hand in Hand was once the world's oldest existing fire insurance office and was a forerunner of the modern co-operative system.
In 1706, the company was renamed the Amicable Contributors (or Contributorship) for Insuring for Loss by Fire. It became known as the Hand-in-Hand Fire Office by 1720. The society was one of the first insurance companies to have a fire engine of its own, ordering its first engine in 1716 to supplement the fire buckets, crow bars, and axes already in use.
The design of this mark varies, earlier castings having small cuffs and very small hands, while all later marks, both castings and pressings, have large cuffs and more refined hands. There are 13 variants (10 lead, 2 copper, 1 tin). There is no example so far known of a policy number with less than five figures.
In 1706, the company was renamed the Amicable Contributors (or Contributorship) for Insuring for Loss by Fire. It became known as the Hand-in-Hand Fire Office by 1720. The society was one of the first insurance companies to have a fire engine of its own, ordering its first engine in 1716 to supplement the fire buckets, crow bars, and axes already in use.
The design of this mark varies, earlier castings having small cuffs and very small hands, while all later marks, both castings and pressings, have large cuffs and more refined hands. There are 13 variants (10 lead, 2 copper, 1 tin). There is no example so far known of a policy number with less than five figures.