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  EXTREMELY RARE PARADE FLAG WITH RARE CIRCLE-IN-A-SQUARE STAR CONFIGURATION, MADE FOR THE 1868 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF HORATIO SEYMOUR AND FRANCIS PRESTON BLAIR, JR., WITH HIGHLY UNUSUAL GRAPHICS THAT INCLUDE A "GREENBACK" DOLLAR WITH SEYMOUR'S PORTRAIT

Available: Sold
Frame Size (H x L): 16.75" x 22.25"
Flag Size (H x L): 8" x 13.75"
Description....:
EXTREMELY RARE PARADE FLAG WITH RARE CIRCLE-IN-A-SQUARE STAR CONFIGURATION, MADE FOR THE 1868 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN OF HORATIO SEYMOUR AND FRANCIS PRESTON BLAIR, JR., WITH HIGHLY UNUSUAL GRAPHICS THAT INCLUDE A "GREENBACK" DOLLAR WITH SEYMOUR'S PORTRAIT:

This highly unusual style of political parade flag, printed on cotton, was made in 1868 to advertise the campaign of two-time New York Governor and Democratic Party leader, Horatio Seymour. Cocked at a slight angle, right of center, is an illustration of a "greenback" bill that overlaps both the stripe field and a small portion of the canton and stars. Within this illustration, there is a full length figure of Lady Justice at the left, and a large numeral "5" above a portrait of Seymour at the right, around which are the words: "Horatio Seymour For President". Within the center portion of the bill fancifully lettered, is the following text: "The People Demand The United States Payment of Bonds in Greenbacks; Equal Taxation; One Currency for the Government and the People; And The Laborer and the Office Holder; The Producer and the Bond Holder."

As with some political campaign parade flags, the star count is only decorative. Nonetheless it is one of the most unusual counts, having no relation to the period in question. Many such flags use an earlier design as a matter of convenience and therefore have a star count that is lower than the actual number that exists in the year of the election. But there were 37 states in 1868 and the number wouldn't reach 40 for another 21 years. Far more important, however, is the specific configuration itself, which consists of a large center star, surrounded by a wreath of small stars, with a slightly larger star flanking in each corner. This is surrounded by a square of stars that runs the perimeter o the blue canton. Very few flags are known in this "circle-in-a-square" pattern, which is significantly more rare than the equally beautiful "great star" configuration (a star made out of stars), that is considered by many to be the "Rolls Royce" of patterns. The circle-in-a-square medallion is highly desired and adds considerable interest to the overall design.

Seymour had been Lincoln's most prominent Democratic Party opponent during the closing years of the war, when he was serving his second, non-consecutive term as governor of the most populous state in the Union. Due to the unpopularity of the Democrats in post-war America, there were few issues on which they could mount a platform to regain the Whitehouse. Among these was the devaluing of the dollar that had taken place under Lincoln, while the federal government printed paper money to fund the war.

Several men sought the Democratic nomination in 1868. None was a clearly agreed upon, so a compromise was made to select Seymour, who was, at the time, serving as Chairman of the Democratic National Convention. The purpose of placing his picture on a campaign parade flag within a "greenback" bill would likely have been to demonstrate a promise of monetary stability under Democratic leadership. It is interesting to note that because Seymour could not have been predicted as the winner of the 1868 nomination, an earlier version of this flag exists with a portrait of George H. Pendleton, Senator from Ohio, in place of Seymour's. Pendleton, who had run for the office of vice president with George McClellan against Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson in 1864, was a strong proponent of change regarding post-war fiscal policy. He called for the redemption of the government's war bonds in paper money rather than gold, thereby establishing "greenbacks" as the permanent legal tender. Though others suggested the plan, he traded the concept as his own and called it the "Ohio Idea". The swapping of Pendleton's portrait on the image of the flag would most certainly represent a shift of support from one candidate to the other among those who supported Pendleton's ideology. Seymour lost to General Ulysses S. Grant in a landslide for several reasons, mostly because Grant was the hero of Gettysburg and brought an end to the Civil War as Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Army. He succeeded in obtaining the necessary votes in the South because the black men that he'd freed could now vote.

In the wake of further Democratic Party decline, the "Greenback Party" would actually emerge in 1876 to ride the potential wave of Pendleton's "Idea". They filled many congressional seats across the nation with independents and putting forth three consecutive candidates for the presidency, but the party evaporated in 1888 when Grover Cleveland became the first successful Democrat to reach the Whitehouse.

A "Seymour Greenback" flag in this style resides in the collection of the University of Hartford and is documented in "Threads of History", by Herbert Ridgeway Collins (Smithsonian Press, 1979), as item 343 on page 177. Collins served as curator of political history at the Smithsonian and his landmark text is considered the foremost reference on political flag and textile collecting.

Mounting: The gilded molding dates to the period between 1840 and 1860 and is an excellent example with beautiful patina. The flag has been hand-stitched to 100% cotton twill, black in color. The black fabric was washed to remove excess pigment. An acid-free agent was added to the wash to further set the pigment and the fabric was heat-treated for the same purpose. Spacers keep the textile away from the glass, which is U.V. protective.

Condition: There is minor soiling throughout, particularly along the extended white portion of the hoist end, where the flag was affixed to a wooden staff. There are minor losses at the extreme fly end of the last white stripe and in the white area above the topmost stripe. A layer of off-white cotton was placed between the flag and the background, both to serve as a further barrier and for masking purposes. The flag remains in a great overall state of preservation for the period, especially with regard to its great scarcity among surviving examples.
Collector Level: Flags for the truest Patriots. My best offerings
Flag Type: Parade flag
Star Count: 40
Earliest Date of Origin: 1868
Latest Date of Origin: 1868
State/Affiliation: New York
War Association: 1866-1890 Indian Wars
Price: SOLD
 

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