Frame Size (H x L): 6” x 7.5”
Flag Size (H x L): 1.5” x 2.5”

Offered is an outstanding thirty-one star flag.  Its stars are arranged in a "Great Star" pattern, one of the rarest and most beautiful patterns encountered in antique flags.  The Great Star pattern is a large star made of smaller stars.  Such a pattern was perfectly acceptable, as prior to President Taft's Executive Order 1556 in 1912, flag makers were free to place the stars however they wished. 

In this Great Star pattern, there is a large center star and twenty-six surrounding stars.  The large center star represents the newest state added to the Union (e.g., California in the case of this thirty-one star flag).  There are four medium-sized flanking stars between the arms of the Great Star pattern: one is in the top left of the canton, one is in the top right, one is in the lower left, and one is in the lower right.  The result is dynamic and exotic, and it is the first time that we have encountered this particular configuration and flag.        

US Naval Captain Samuel Reid is credited with designing the Great Star pattern in 1818.  Captain Reid was an officer in the US Navy and commanded the privateer General Armstrong during the War of 1812.  Andrew Jackson credited Captain Reid's heroism in delaying the British Squadron in the Battle of Fayal, and aiding in General Jackson's defense of New Orleans.  Captain Reid and his crew were greeted as heroes.

The Second Flag Act, passed in 1794, stated that the flag would have fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, in response to Vermont and Kentucky being added to the Union.  Knowing that this approach would not be sustainable, with Captain Reid's help, Congress passed the Flag Act of 1818.  It specified that the flag should only have thirteen stripes and a star for each state admitted to the Union.  It further specified that the addition of each star should be on the Fourth of July following its respective state's admission.

Captain Reid played a significant role in the Flag Act of 1818, and recommended a basic design of thirteen horizontal alternating stripes in honor of the thirteen colonies, and a star in honor of each state.  He further recommended several potential star patterns, including twenty stars in the shape of a larger star for general use.  Reid suggested this pattern to make the flag consistent and easily identifiable, particularly at long distances and at sea.  His star pattern recommendation was not ultimately included in the Act, nor was any star pattern, but Captain Reid is universally credited with designing the Great Star pattern.  Its use peaked in the 1840s, but it was also used during the Civil War and occasionally during Centennial Celebrations.  Its last known commercial use was on thirty-eight star flags.

Thirty-one star flags are extremely rare, both because they were official for only eight years and because they were made before the Civil War.  Flags predating the Civil War time period (1861-1865) are the rarest and most desirable of all US flags.  Prior to the Civil War, Americans did not typically display flags for patriotic purposes.  And likewise the military did not regularly use the flag, as it was not until 1834 that the army field artillery was permitted to carry the traditional US flag, and it was not until 1841 that regiments carried it.  For these reasons, flags made prior to the Civil War account for only around 1-in-100 flags made in the 19th century.    

As noted, the thirty-one star flag represents the inclusion of California to the Union.  California was admitted on September 9th, 1850, and this flag became official on July 4th, 1851.  The thirty-one star flag was official until July 4th, 1858, the time at which the thirty-two star flag became official and began to represent the inclusion of Minnesota in the Union. 

Conservation Process: This flag was hand sewn to cotton fabric, and both were hand sewn to a mounting board. To prevent the black dye in the cotton fabric from seeping into the ribbon, it was first washed in a standard wash and then in a dye setting wash.  The flag is positioned behind Optium Museum Acrylic.

Frame: This offering is in a birdseye maple frame.  It dates to approximately 1860.  “Birdseye” refers to a specific figure found in hard maple wood, which appears as tiny, distinct, and swirling eyes dispersed across the wood. This pattern is not the result of knots but rather from the fibers and growth of the wood itself.    

Condition Report: As shown in the images, this flag is in excellent condition.

Collectability Level: The Great – Perfect for Rising Collectors  
Date of Origin: 1850-1858  
Number of Stars: 31
Associated State: California