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  38 STARS IN A MEDALLION CONFIGURATION WITH 2 OUTLIERS, AN EXTRAORDINARILY LARGE AND SCARCE SIZE, COLORADO STATEHOOD, 1876-1889

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): Approx. 34.5" x 45.5"
Flag Size (H x L): 23.5" x 34.5"
Description....:
38 STARS IN A MEDALLION CONFIGURATION WITH 2 OUTLIERS, AN EXTRAORDINARILY LARGE AND SCARCE SIZE, COLORADO STATEHOOD, 1876-1889:

38 star American parade flag, printed on coarse, glazed cotton, with a medallion star configuration. Specifically, this is a triple-wreath design, with three consecutive circles of stars surrounding a single, center star. Typically there are 4 flanking stars outside this type of pattern, one in each corner. Note that there are only two flanking on this example. This was done intentionally to leave room for the easy addition of two more states. Flag-makers felt that more Western Territories were soon to be added to the Union and eagerly anticipated their arrival.

This is an extraordinary, large size for this particular type of flag. It's extremely scarce in this large scale, which is very desirable because of its bold impact.

The 38th state, Colorado, received its statehood on August 1st, 1876. This was the year of our nation's centennial of independence from Great Britain. Although 37 was the official star count for the American flag in 1876, flag-making was a competitive venture, and no one wanted to be making 37 star flags when others were making 38's. It is for this reason that 38 and 13 stars (to represent the original 13 colonies) are the two star counts most often seen at the Centennial International Exposition, the six-month long, World's Fair event, held in honor of the anniversary, in Philadelphia. The 38 star flag became official in 1877 and was generally used until the addition of the Dakotas in 1889.

Mounting: The flag is stitched to black 100% cotton, black in color, which was washed to reduce excess dye. An acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the dye and the fabric was heat-treated for the same purpose. The flag was then placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed, contemporary Italian molding. The front is U.V. protective acrylic.

Condition: There is moderate foxing along the hoist, below the canton, accompanied by moderate dye loss at the fly end and minor fabric loss. There is less significant and staining throughout. Misprinting in the canton occurred when the flag became creased when it went through the press. This resulted in some streaked areas that had no dye. The affected areas were professionally restored. Many of my clients prefer early flags to show their age and history of use.
Collector Level: Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 38
Earliest Date of Origin: 1876
Latest Date of Origin: 1889
State/Affiliation: Colorado
War Association: 1866-1890 Indian Wars
Price: SOLD
 

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