Georgian Silver Britannia Plaque, London Assurance Corporation, c.1801
Robert Hennell I and David Hennell II
George III Sterling-Silver London Assurance Fire Mark, 1801
Rare Hallmarked Britannia Plaque from the Early History of British Insurance
Highlights
• Rare London Assurance fire-insurance plaque made from sterling silver.
• Hallmarked in London during the reign of George III.
• Precisely dated by its assay marks to 1801.
• Made by celebrated London silversmiths Robert Hennell I and David Hennell II.
• Features the registered RH over DH partnership mark.
• Cast and chased with the allegorical figure of Britannia.
• Iconography includes a spear, Irish harp and City of London arms.
• Individually numbered “13”.
• Weighs a substantial 243 grams or approximately 7.8 troy ounces.
• Directly associated with the formative history of British corporate insurance.
• Documented provenance through Adam Partridge Auctioneers.
Introduction
An exceptionally rare George III sterling-silver plaque associated with the London Assurance Corporation, fully hallmarked in London for 1801 and made by Robert Hennell I in partnership with his son, David Hennell II.
The sculptural composition depicts Britannia seated in high relief with the symbolic attributes employed upon London Assurance fire marks: a spear, Irish harp and shield bearing the arms of the City of London. The name “LONDON ASSURANCE” appears prominently within the design, accompanied by the individual number “13”.
Cast and finely chased, the plaque possesses the visual authority of a neoclassical medallion. Highlights across the raised silver contrast with patinated recessed areas, giving the figure and surrounding emblems considerable depth.
Its fully hallmarked sterling-silver construction distinguishes it from the more familiar fire-insurance marks produced in base metals. It represents a rare conjunction of important Georgian silver craftsmanship, early corporate identity and the history of organised fire insurance.
Catalogue Details
Makers: Robert Hennell I and David Hennell II
Maker’s Mark: Conjoined RH over DH punch
Object Type: Fire-insurance plaque or fire mark
Associated Institution: London Assurance Corporation
Date: 1801
Monarch: George III
Assay Office: London
Material: Sterling silver
Manufacture: Cast and hand chased in high relief
Principal Figure: Britannia or the allegorical personification of Assurance
Other Emblems: Spear, Irish harp and City of London shield
Inscription: “LONDON ASSURANCE”
Individual Number: “13”
Weight: Approximately 243 grams or 7.8 troy ounces
Catalogue Note
The seated female figure follows the emblematic design historically used by the London Assurance Corporation to identify its fire-insurance business.
Britannia occupies the centre of the composition, her drapery articulated through flowing folds and carefully chased surface detail. She holds a spear associated with defence and protection, while the adjacent shield displays the arms of the City of London.
The Irish harp provides a further geographical and corporate reference. London Assurance extended its fire and life operations into Ireland during the eighteenth century, and the harp became an established component of the company’s visual identity.
Above the figure appears the title “LONDON ASSURANCE”. The number “13” may have identified an insured property, policy or administrative sequence, although surviving documentation has not yet established its exact significance.
The plaque’s substantial silver weight and refined manufacture suggest a more prestigious function than that of an ordinary lead or copper building mark. Possibilities include presentation, official institutional display or use in connection with an important early policy. These interpretations remain provisional in the absence of surviving company records directly referring to this particular numbered example.
London Assurance and the Development of Fire Insurance
London Assurance was incorporated by Royal Charter on 22 June 1720 during the extraordinary financial speculation surrounding the South Sea Bubble.
Together with Royal Exchange Assurance, the company received corporate privileges under the legislation widely known as the Bubble Act. London Assurance initially operated as a marine insurer before obtaining authority in 1721 to extend its activities into life and fire insurance.
Fire insurance was of particular importance in eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century London. Memories of the Great Fire remained powerful, while densely built streets and limited public firefighting infrastructure left homes and businesses vulnerable.
Insurance companies developed their own fire brigades and issued identifying plaques known as fire marks. These were displayed upon insured buildings and enabled a company’s representatives to recognise properties covered by its policies.
The present silver plaque is directly connected with this formative period in organised insurance. It represents not only a decorative silver object but also an early expression of corporate branding, financial trust and private fire protection.
The London Assurance Emblem
Britannia communicates the ideas of national protection, endurance and authority.
The spear represents defence, while the shield bearing the City of London arms connects the company with the capital’s established commercial and financial institutions.
The Irish harp reflects London Assurance’s business activity in Ireland and its broader geographical reach. The combination of British national imagery, Irish symbolism and London civic arms expressed both the security and scale the corporation wished to project.
This emblem appeared on documented London Assurance fire marks made from materials including copper and tinned iron. The present hallmarked silver version is an especially distinguished interpretation of the same corporate design.
The Makers
Robert Hennell I was born in 1741 and belonged to one of London’s most enduring silversmithing dynasties.
He joined the family workshop established by his father, David Hennell I, and continued the business following his father’s retirement. The firm operated in the Foster Lane district, historically associated with the London goldsmithing trade.
In 1795, Robert’s son David Hennell II joined the business, and the pair registered the combined RH over DH mark appearing upon the present plaque.
Their surviving work encompasses domestic, ceremonial and institutional silver. It is admired for disciplined proportion, well-defined ornament and consistently accomplished workmanship.
The British Museum preserves a particularly relevant comparison: a hallmarked silver fire-insurance plaque for the Sun Fire Office made by Robert and David Hennell in 1795. That institutional commission provides important evidence for the Hennell workshop’s production of prestigious silver insurance plaques during this period.
In 1802, shortly after the present work was completed, Samuel Hennell joined the partnership. The Hennell family continued to produce significant London silver throughout much of the nineteenth century.
Assay and Hallmarks
The plaque bears the principal marks expected upon London sterling silver of the period:
• The lion passant, denoting the sterling-silver standard.
• The crowned leopard’s head, identifying the London Assay Office.
• The duty mark featuring the head of King George III.
• The appropriate date letter for 1801.
• The RH over DH maker’s mark of Robert Hennell I and David Hennell II.
These marks provide firm evidence for the plaque’s material, date, place of assay and makers.
Provenance
Private collection within the United Kingdom.
Subsequently offered by Adam Partridge Auctioneers, Macclesfield, as a rare George III hallmarked silver London Assurance plaque by Robert Hennell I and David Hennell II, London 1801.
Acquired through Adam Partridge Auctioneers in April 2026.
Subsequently curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD.
Dimensions
Height: 17 cm
Width: 14 cm
Depth: Approximately 0.6 cm
Weight: Approximately 243 grams or 7.8 troy ounces
Condition Report
The plaque is presented in good antique condition overall.
The surface displays light rubbing, minor abrasions and gentle softening across some of the highest points of the relief, consistent with its George III date and previous handling.
Small knocks and localised distortions are present around the edge and rim. These are most evident upon close examination and do not materially detract from the overall appearance.
Natural patination has developed within the recessed details. This provides attractive tonal contrast and emphasises the modelling of the figure, drapery and surrounding emblems.
The plaque remains structurally sound and suitable for immediate display.
Conservative handling is recommended, and any future cleaning or treatment should be entrusted to a suitably qualified antique-silver specialist.
Please inspect all photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the condition report. Detailed photographs of the hallmarks and surface can be supplied upon request.
Shipping
Worldwide shipping is available.
The plaque will be professionally packed using materials appropriate for a substantial historic silver object. Delivery will be fully insured for transit, with tracking provided where available.
Please contact us for a tailored international shipping quotation or to discuss secure collection arrangements.
Attribution & Research Notice
The historical observations, provenance research, maker identification and contextual commentary presented within this catalogue entry represent the professional, non-guaranteed opinion of Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®. They are offered in good faith as informed scholarly assessments based upon the available evidence, hallmarks, comparative research, published reference material, museum collection records, auction history and professional experience within the international fine art and antiques market.
These observations should be understood as professional opinions rather than guarantees concerning original function, institutional use, provenance or historical interpretation. The complete London hallmark group supports the identification of the plaque as sterling silver, assayed in London in 1801 and bearing the partnership mark of Robert Hennell I and David Hennell II. The description “fire-insurance plaque” is supported by the London Assurance inscription and documented museum comparisons employing the same Britannia, harp, spear and City shield iconography.
The precise original purpose of this unusually prestigious sterling-silver example has not been conclusively established. Its association with a particular property, policy, presentation or internal company function therefore remains open to further documentary research. The number “13” is understood as an individual identifying reference, although its precise meaning is presently unknown. As with all historic works of art, future documentary discoveries, technical examination, conservation analysis or advances in academic research may refine, expand or revise current interpretations.
Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®
Specialising in carefully curated British and European fine art, antiques and historic works of art. Every artwork is professionally researched and catalogued using comparative scholarship, published reference material and more than two decades of experience within the international fine art market. We are committed to offering collectors works of artistic and historical merit accompanied by transparent provenance research, detailed catalogue descriptions and professional, client-focused service.
Additional photographs and further information are available upon request.
