Reliance Insurance Co. - Vignette showing date of 1817 - Specimen Stock Certificate

Specimen Stock printed by Security Banknote Company. Incorporated in 1820. Reliance Insurance Company, established in Philadelphia in 1817, has experienced several corporate transformations over the years. As of October 3, 2001, the company entered liquidation, a status that persisted into 2020. Originally founded as the Fire Association of Philadelphia, the company was officially incorporated in 1820 by five hose and eleven engine fire companies. It became the first successful collective of volunteer fire departments in the United States, which had previously operated independently and often engaged in counterproductive competition, including the sabotage of each other's equipment and conflicts among firefighters. In addition to providing fire insurance, the association acted as a mediator among its member companies to address past grievances.

The first policy issued was purchased by Samuel Bleight for his three-story building. A notable emblem adopted at the company's inception was a fire mark depicting a fireplug with a coiled hose and the initials F.A. on either side. The association received its charter from the governor of Pennsylvania on March 27, 1820, and issued 29 policies that same year. By 1832, the number of policies had increased to 583, and by 1844, the association had expanded to include 44 member companies. In 1850, it reported a surplus of $100,000, which was unfortunately lost in the Great Fire of Philadelphia that year. Nevertheless, the trustees honored all claims resulting from the disaster, which earned them goodwill and facilitated further growth.