44-Star Printed American Flag, Unique Triple Medallion Pattern, 1890

This 36-star flag has stars arranged in a gorgeous and highly desirable medallion pattern. This particular medallion includes a large haloed star in the middle, two rings of stars s...

This is a striking 38-star American flag. The flag dates to 1876-1890, when Colorado (represented by the large star in the center of the flag’s canton) joined the Union as the 38th s...

This is a 39-star unofficial American flag, handmade and printed on cotton. The flag dates to 1889 and has a unique history, thanks to its rare star-count. The flag’s canton is prin...

This is an original 46-Star American parade flag, celebrating Oklahoma statehood. Each star on the flag's canton represents a state in the Union at the time. The official flag design would update every July 4th, to include any new states added to the Union in the past year. Oklahoma, the 46th state, entered the Union on November 16, 1907. As such, this 46–star flag was the official flag of the United States from July 4, 1908, until July 4, 1912. The silk flag has a dark blue canton with 46 white printed stars. The stars are printed in an 7-8-8-8-8-7 row configuration, or “Drum design.” The flag design is completed with 13 alternating red and white stripes, each stripe representing one of the original thirteen colonies. The land that comprises Oklahoma today was added to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Throughout the 19th century, the U.S. government relocated Indian tribes from the southeastern United States to the area, and by 1900, over 30 Indian tribes had been moved to what was originally called the Indian Territories. At the same time, ranchers in Texas began to move into the area in search of new pasture lands. Although stipulations in the Indian Relocation Act agreed that the land would forever be Indian Territory, the promise of fertile farmland trumped the government’s promise of sovereignty. On April 22, 1889, they opened the land to settlement by homesteaders, creating a land run in which settlers, called “Boomers,” were allowed to cross the Texas or Arkansas border at a particular hour to claim homesteads. Settlers who illegally crossed the border earlier to stake prime land were called “sooners,” which eventually became the state’s nickname. Wagons and the Santa Fe railroad carried cartloads of men and women to blank town sites and building plots, creating ten thousand-people communities in a matter of days. The following year, the region was further divided into Indian Territory and Oklahoma Territory...

The stars of this extremely rare, Civil War-era flag are arranged in what is sometimes called the "Great Flower" pattern, a large star made out of smaller stars -- named as such beca...

This is a rare 31-star medallion printed American flag, celebrating the addition of California to the Union. The flag is printed on silk and has a spectacular “Great Star” canton pat...

44 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN PARADE FLAG WITH A TRIPLE WREATH FORM OF THE MEDALLION CONFIGURATION, RARE IN THIS PERIOD WITH A CIRCULAR STAR ARRANGEMENT, 1890-1896, REFLECTS THE ADDITION OF WYOMING TO THE UNION 44 star American parade flag, printed on plain weave cotton. The stars are arranged in a circular medallion configuration that consists of three consecutive wreaths of stars, with a single star in the very center and a flanking star in each corner of the blue canton, outside the primary pattern. Variations of this beautiful and desirable arrangement are seen primarily in flags made between the Civil War (1861-65) and the nation’s centennial (1876). While there remained no official star configuration until 1912, flag makers basically abandoned circular, star-shaped, and other, dynamic, non-linear designs after the 38 star era (1876-1889). Examples with greater than that star count are rarely encountered. Note how this particular, orderly, circular arrangement, in such a large star count is somewhat reminiscent of a clear summer night sky, filled with stars. Also note that the canton is square, as opposed to rectangular, and how the proportions of the flag itself are somewhat more squarish than usual. Together these traits provide additional, visual peculiarities that impact to this great example of 19th century flag-making. It is interesting to note that I discovered a period image of this particular variety of parade flag, in an early postcard, made to advertise the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia, which had, in 1898, been opened to the public as a museum. A photo of the front of the house shows two of these flags, affixed to staffs, propped at opposite angles in the front window. While perhaps difficult for the casual observer to identify, connoisseurs of printed flags may recognize their scale and iconic design. The postcard is hand-dated 1905. Wyoming became the 44th state on July 10th, 1890. Even though the 44 star flag was not official until July 4th, 1891, most flag-makers would have begun to add a 44th star to their flags as soon as Wyoming declared statehood, or perhaps even before the state was actually added. Because flag-making was a competitive venture, flag-makers did not want to be producing 43 star flags...

44 STAR ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH AN HOURGLASS FORMATION OF STARS IN CANTED ROWS, AND AN EXTREMELY INTERESTING PRESENTATION FROM REPEATING SWATHS OF HEAVY OXIDATION, WYOMING STATEHO...

13 STARS WITH SHORT, CONICAL ARMS ON A SMALL SCALE, ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG MADE DURING THE LAST DECADE F THE 19TH CENTURY; POSSIBLY OF PHILADELPHIA ORIGIN; FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTION ...

42 STARS ON AN ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH SCATTERED STAR POSITIONING, REFLECTS THE ADDITION OF WASHINGTON STATE, MONTANA, AND THE DAKOTAS, NEVER AN OFFICIAL STAR COUNT, circa 1889-18...

43 GILT-PAINTED STARS ON A SILK, ANTIQUE AMERICAN FLAG WITH BULLION FRINGE; REFLECTS THE ADDITION OF IDAHO AS THE 43RD STATE ON JULY 3RD, 1890, ONE OF THE RAREST STAR COUNTS AMONG SURVIVING AMERICAN FLAGS OF THE 19TH CENTURY Numerous flags appeared with unofficial star counts in early America, some of them produced by flag-makers in large quantity in anticipation of the addition of more states. Interestingly enough, other flags were officially adopted by the United States Congress, but for all practical purposes were never produced. Among these is the 43 star flag...

Monumental fifteen foot 42 star American flag, circa 1889-1890. The 42-star flag is rare because only a limited number of 42-star flags were produced after Washington became a state on Nov. 11, 1889. But it takes a more intimate knowledge of flag trivia to know just why it happened this way. White stars are added to the blue field of the star-spangled banner on the Fourth of July after a state is admitted to the union. In the fall of 1889, several western territories became states. Dakota was admitted, and then split into North and South Dakota, on Nov. 2, 1889, which made them state and star numbers 39 and 40. Montana was named the 41st state on Nov. 8, followed by Washington, on Nov. 11. Only a few flag manufacturers began producing 42-star flags before the official addition of the 42nd star on July 4, 1890. Those who tried to jump the gun by being the first to produce an up-to-date flag were surprised when Idaho was admitted to the United States on July 3...