Personalized Address Plaque – Antique Brass Fleur-de-Lis Arch

The Sign

An arched plate with a fleur-de-lis standing as a finial at the crown and small floral scrolls turned into each of the four corners. Three lines inside: the number large across the top, the family name beneath it, and the year they arrived on a line of its own at the foot.

Three lines instead of two changes what the sign is for. It stops being an address and starts being a record of who lives there.

Craftsmanship

Real copper and brass grown over the sculpted form rather than poured into a mold. The finial is the test: its three points and the band at its waist have to stay sharp, and casting softens exactly that kind of edge. The finial, the corner scrolls and the three lines of lettering are cut at their own heights, between 2 and 5 mm off the ground. The plate is 8 to 10 mm thick and solid all the way through.

Readable from the road

The number is set considerably larger than the two lines under it, so the sign works at two distances: the number from the street, the family name and year when someone is at the door. Raised brass over a ground left dark is what gives the number its carry.

Built for outside

Sealed under a UV-protective finish once the patina is applied. Sun, rain and frost will not fade or lift it, and there is no steel in the body to rust and streak the wall.

Personalization

Three things are yours: the house number, the family name, and the year. Most people use the year they moved in; the year the house was built works just as well, and some use a marriage year. Send all three exactly as they should appear, including whether you want THE HARRINGTON FAMILY or simply HARRINGTON. A design preview comes back by email before anything is made.

Specifications

• Material: electroformed copper and brass over a solid sculpted core
• Finish: raised antique brass on a blackened ground
• Thickness: 0.3 to 0.4 in (8 to 10 mm), solid through
• Relief: raised detail stands 0.1 to 0.2 in (2 to 5 mm) proud of the ground, at more than one height across the design
• Shape: arched with a fleur-de-lis finial and floral corner scrolls
• Sizes: eleven, from 6 x 4 to 10 x 10 inches, height x width
• UV-protected and weather-treated for outdoor use
• Made to order in our own workshop

Three lines need room. Start at 8 x 6 for a comfortable result; below that the family name has to be set small enough that it stops being legible from the path.

Mounting

Three ways, chosen at checkout.

• Keyhole slots: two screws in the wall, and it lifts off when you need it to.
• Peel-and-stick tape: sealed strips already applied to the back. No drilling. Smooth, clean, dry surfaces only.
• Floating stud mount: reinforced studs that hold it clear of the wall and throw a shadow under the finial.

Hardware and instructions are included with all three.

Where it works

Beside a front door, on a brick pier, on a gate. A three-line sign wants somewhere people slow down, so it does better at a door than at the end of a long drive.

Gifting

A housewarming present that is difficult to get wrong, provided you know the year. It is also the standard gift when parents move to a smaller house and everything else they own is being given away rather than added to.

Care

Soft dry cloth. No brass polish and nothing abrasive.