Collectibles cover all types of items and all fields and one such field is Paper Ephemera collectibles.
Paper Ephemera is divided into very many categories, from the most basic match boxes and vintage candy wrappers to very respectable and sometimes exceedingly expensive antique documents, share certificates and paper money banknotes. Collecting documents and financial papers, such as stock and share certificates, is called scripophily. Insurance policies fall into this category of antique financial documents.
History of insurance is as old as the human history, as the most basic steps we take to make provisions for the future are parts of an insurance plan. Western style institutionalised insurance in the form that we know it today started in the 17th century in Holland and in England – one of the main contributors to the development of the industry was the great fire of London in 1666. This is when proper fire and also marine insurance certificates and policies start to appear. There was a steady growth of insurance during the entire 18th century and the main insurance companies, which are still the biggest entities on the insurance market today, were established in the later part of the 18th century. The 19th century brought with it an Industrial Revolution which first spread in Europe and then throughout the world with the colonial powers. This was a major catalyst to the fast growth and development of insurance sector.
The three main insurance types were fire, life and marine insurance and each insurance underwriting and renewal of a policy was done on paper. The document was issued in two or three copies that were kept by all the parties involved in the contract. Early insurance policies were very elaborately designed legal documents. They bore watermarks and elaborate engravings of the company logos that in many cases occupy up to half of the document. Clerks meticulously wrote down in a copperplate scripts the terms of these policies and the underwriters signed and often was sealed the policies. This produced very attractive looking and unusual documents that were kept folded in the solicitors’ archives and in the archives of the insurance companies.
Collectors nowadays prize these old documents and they are eagerly sought after by enthusiasts who collect antique stocks, share certificates and financial ephemera. Particularly rare and elaborately designed antique insurance policies can fetch up to a few hundred pounds. They are very decorative, and even if not valuable, they make a very impressive office wall decoration when framed.
Here is a list of old main companies that issued elaborate insurance policies:
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Aetna Insurance Company |
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Agricultural Insurance Company |
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Alliance Assurance Company |
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Alliance British and Foreign Life and Assurance Company |
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American Exchange Fire Insurance Company of City of New York |
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American Fire Insurance Company |
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American Life Insurance and Trust Company |
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Anglo-Danubian lloyd Allgemeine Versicherungs Aktien Gesellschaft |
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Atlas Assurance Company |
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Belknap County Mutual Fire Insurance Company |
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British Equitable Assurance Company |
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British Law Fire Insurance Company |
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Caledonian Insurance Company |
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Citizens Insurance Company |
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Colonial Mutual Life Assurance Society, Limited |
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Columbia Insurance Company |
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Commerce Five Insurance Company |
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Commercial Union Assurance Company |
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Compagnie D’Assurances Generales Contre L’Incendie et Les Explosions |
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Compagnie Francaise Du Phenix |
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Continental Insurance Company |
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Corporation of London Assurance of Houses and Goods from Fire |
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Council Bluffs Insurance Company |
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Cycladiki Insurance Company |
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Dutchess County Mutual Insurance Company |
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East Of England Mutual Life Assurance Society |
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Edinburgh Assurance Company Limited |
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Employers’ Mutual Insurance Association |
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Equitable Life Assurance Society |
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Ethniki Insurance Company |
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Farmers’ Fire Insurance Company |
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Fort Wayne Insurance Company |
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Germania Fire Insurance Company |
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Germania Lebens Versicherungs Aktien Gesellschaft |
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Government Insurance Office of New South Wales |
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Grand Lodge of the Ladies Society of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen |
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Greek Commercial Union Insurance Company |
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Guardian Assurance Company Limited |
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Guardian Mutual Life Insurance Co |
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Hanover Fire Insurance Company |
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Hartford County Mutual Fire Insurance Company |
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Hartford Live Stock Insurance Company |
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Hearts Of Oak Benefit Society |
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Hillsborough Mutual Fire Assurance Association |
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Home Insurance Company |
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Howard Insurance Company of New York |
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Imperial Fire Insurance Company |
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Imperial Insurance Company |
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Inman Steam-Ship Company Limited |
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Insurance Company of North America |
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Insurance Company of Scotland |
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Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania |
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Jupiter General Insurance Company Limited |
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Konfraternitas |
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La Mutuelle Lyonnaise |
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Lancashire Insurance Company |
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L’Helvetia: Compagnie Suisse D’Assurances Contre L’Incendie |
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Liverpool & London & Globe Insurance Company |
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L’Union Insurance Company of France |
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Lycoming County Mutual Insurance Company |
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Manchester Fire Assurance Company |
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Manufacturers Fire and Marine Insurance Company |
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Manufacturers’ Mutual Fire Insurance Company |
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Maryland Fire Insurance Company of Baltimore |
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Merchants’ Insurance Company |
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Milwaukee Mechanics Insurance Company |
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Montgomery County Mutual Insurance Company |
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Morris County Mutual Life and Fire Insurance Company |
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Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York |
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Mutual Property Insurance Company Limited |
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National Congress of Loyal Americans |
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National Loan Fund Life Assurance Society of London |
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National Provincial Insurance Company |
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New England Mutual Insurance Company |
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New Hampshire Fire Insurance Company |
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Norddeutscher Lloyd-Bremen |
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North British and Mercantile Insurance Company |
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Northern Assurance Company |
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Norwich and London Accident Insurance Association |
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Norwich Union |
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Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation |
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Ocean Insurance Company |
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Ohio Farmers Insurance Company |
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Onondaga County Mutual Insurance Company |
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Patriotic Assurance Company of Dublin |
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Pearl Assurance Company |
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Pearl Insurance Company |
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Pennsylvania Fire Insurance Company |
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People’s Fire Insurance Company |
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Phoenix Fire Insurance Company |
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Phoenix Assurance Company Limited |
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Phoenix Insurance Company |
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Phoenix Insurance Company |
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Phoenix Mutual Life Insurance Company |
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Prudential Assurance Company |
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Prudential Insurance Company of America |
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Quincy Mutual Fire Insurance Company |
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Refuge Assurance Company Limited |
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Resolute Fire Insurance Company |
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Rhin et Moselle |
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Riunione Adriadica Sicurta Adriatic Insurance Company |
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Rockford Insurance Company |
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Rockingham Mutual Fire Insurance Company |
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Royal Exchange Assurance |
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Royal Insurance Company |
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Royal Insurance Company Limited |
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Royal London Auxiliary Insurance Company |
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Saint Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company |
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Salvation Army Assurance Society Limited |
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Scottish Union & National Insurance Company |
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St. Nicholas Insurance Company |
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State Fire Insurance Company |
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State Mutual Fire & Marine Insurance Co |
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State Mutual Fire Insurance Company |
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Sun Insurance Office |
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Thuringia Insurance Company |
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Travelers Insurance Company of Hartford |
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United States Plate Glass Insurance Company of Philadelphia |
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United States Treasury Department |
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Vulcan Boiler and General Insurance Company |
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Washington County Mutual Insurance Company |
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Watertown Fire Insurance Company |
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Yehuda Insurance Company |
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York County Mutual Insurance Company |
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Yorkshire Fire and Life Insurance Company |
Do you have old documents or an old archive of papers that you would like to get rid of? Before you throw anything away or put in your local auction, find out their value on 62days.com. You will receive an answer in about 30 minutes without the need to leave your home. And our experts may realise for you more money in a much shorter time. You can also sell gold, sell diamonds, sell art and sell antiques.
Happy selling and collecting!