This image illustrates the back of a circa 1800-1830's fire bucket with the makers hallmark, "I Fenno". The letter "I" in this hallmark is in the Roman tradition and stands for the letter "J".
John Fenno was one of the best and most prolific fire bucket makers in early 19th century America. He is listed in the 1803 Boston Directory as a "leather bucket & hosemaker", Orange St., Boston. At that time, mechanical fire equipment relied upon hand-stitched leather hose for drafting and spraying water.
Hallmarked fire buckets are indeed rare. I would estimate that fewer than 5% or existing fire buckets bare a makers hallmark. Of the hallmarked buckets I have seen, the majority were made by Fenno. It is curious to me why Fenno customarily double marked his buckets. In every case I have seen the marks are on both sides of the back seam.
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