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  RARE REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE FLAG WITH A BLUE EAGLE AMID AN ARCH OF 13 BLUE STARS ON A WHITE FIELD AND 16 VERTICAL RED AND WHITE STRIPES, CA 1900-1915

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 40" x 60.5"
Flag Size (H x L): 29" x 49"
Description....:
RARE REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE FLAG WITH A BLUE EAGLE AMID AN ARCH OF 13 BLUE STARS ON A WHITE FIELD AND 16 VERTICAL RED AND WHITE STRIPES, CA 1900-1915:

United States Revenue Cutter Service flag, press-dyed on wool bunting, made in the period between 1900 and 1915. This beautiful design was created by an act of Congress in 1799, when there were 16 states in the Union. For this reason, it has 16 vertical, red and white stripes. At one time there may have been 16 blue stars, set in an unspecified pattern around a large eagle on a white canton, but no original survives. Some early illustrations show 15 stars, which was the official star count on the American National flag from 1795 until 1818, and 16 stripes. Among the tiny number of surviving examples, all have 13 stars and 16 stripes, like this flag, except one, which has 13 stars and 13 stripes.

The Revenue Cutter Service was founded in 1790 by U.S. Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, through an act of the United States Congress. Its job was to protect merchant ships in and around major ports, and to thus ensure not only the safe transport of goods with regard to looting and piratery, but also to oversee that proper tariffs were collected on trade goods. Following the Revolutionary War, America sold its ships and had no navy. Vast debt taken on to fund the war was partially repaid by their sale and the most significant source of revenue for the Treasury Department was taxes on import goods. 10 ships were ordered by the "Revenue Marine", as it was originally called, and distributed among various ports. And while the U.S. Treasury held the overall umbrella for the Revenue Marine, the captain of each ship was directly responsible to the customs collector in whatever port the ship sailed from. Captains had wide-ranging authority to do what they saw fit to keep order and could board and search any vessel, whether docked or at sea.

From 1790 until the U.S. Navy reformed in 1798, the Revenue Marine cutters were the only armed American ships in government service. Afterwards, when we went to war at sea, they fought alongside the Navy and have since participated in every major U.S. seafaring conflict, including D-Day during WWII. The mission, general orders, and organization of Revenue Marine was reformed and revised a couple of times during the 19th century. First by default, then by general orders, one of its functions became the rescue of ships in distress. In 1894, the name was formally changed to the Revenue Cutter Service and this is the term most widely used today by historians and collectors of related artifacts.

In 1915 The RCS merged with the U.S. Lifesaving Service to form the U.S. Coast Guard. As of this date it was no longer responsible to the U.S. Treasury, but instead became a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, responsible to the president. Today it falls under the Department of Homeland Security in times of peace, but at times of war its direction can be transferred by the president to the U.S. Navy.

The press-dyeing process was patented in 1849 as a method of printing flags on wool. It was primarily used during the 1876 centennial era by the U.S. Bunting Company, which began making press-dyed flags for the U.S. military in 1869. This was one of the first firms to successfully produce high quality wool bunting fabric in the United States, and while its owners worked diligently to master the press-dyeing process, it was apparently more costly than one might presume, because it never caught on in America as a popular means of flag production.

Also called resist-dyeing, to achieve white stars, for example, pieces of waxed fabric or paper in the shape of stars had to be cut out and carefully placed on both sides of the white wool bunting. The fabric was then dyed blue and the areas where the silhouettes were placed would not absorb the dye and thus be left white. The same process was repeated to make the red stripes. This inexact art would often add crude characteristics, such as stripes with irregular lines and in various widths, and stars with inconsistent shapes, in slightly varying sizes. It is likely that this resulted in lost product and wasted time, from flags that had bleeding or misprint issues and were of too poor quality to sell.

There is a heavy canvas binding with 2 brass grommets for hoisting. A maker's tag along the hoist reads: "Sterling; Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.; All Wool Double Warp; Bunting". Sterling was a brand name of the Annin company. Annin is our nation's eldest flag-maker that is still in business today. The company was founded in the 1830's, incorporated in 1847, and was located in New York City until the 1960's, when it moved to verona, New Jersey. Sterling was a trademark for Annin's highest grade of wool bunting (with one possible exception, if I am not mistaken).

Mounting: The flag has been hand-sewn to 100% silk organza throughout for support. It was then hand-stitched to 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 mount was then placed in a black-painted, hand-gilded and distressed Italian molding. The glazing is U.V. protective acrylic.

Condition: There is minor soiling in the upper fly end corner. There is very minor soiling elsewhere throughout, accompanied by minor mothing.
Collector Level: Intermediate-Level Collectors and Special Gifts
Flag Type: Sewn flag
Star Count: 13
Earliest Date of Origin: 1900
Latest Date of Origin: 1915
State/Affiliation: 13 Original Colonies
War Association:
Price: SOLD
 

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