Frame Size (H x L): 2.5” x 3.5”
Flag Size (H x L): 6.5” x 7.5” 

Offered is a vintage peace sign flag patch, dating to between 1960 and 1975, and of the style worn on many Vietnam War protestors’ jackets.  The peace sign was first used in 1958 for the British nuclear disbarment movement.  As part of the movement, Gerald Holtom designed it for a march that departed from London and ended at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment.  The symbol is a combination of the semaphore signals for the letters “N” and “D,” the N standing for nuclear, and D standing for disbarment.  The semaphore symbol for the letter “N” is a person holding two flags in an inverted “V,” while the symbol for the letter “D” is a person holding one flag straight up and one straight down.  Combining these two signs creates the shape of the center of the peace sign. 

The sign became widely known, in the US, when Albert Bigelow, a pacifist protestor, sailed a small boat fitted with the peace symbol into an area designated for nuclear testing.  Additionally, in 1960, Philip Altbach, a student at the University of Chicago, imported buttons with the peace symbol into the US.  He persuaded the Student Peace Union to adopt the symbol, and between 1960 and 1964, the organization sold thousands of buttons on college campuses.  By 1970, the peace symbol was widely recognized across the US, Europe, and the world.       

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 flag, 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 an antique wooden frame.  

Condition Report: This flag has some minor staining and a patina.  Many collectors prefer flags that show their use and age.  

Collectability Level: The Good – Perfect for Beginning Collectors and Gifts  
Date of Origin: 1960-1975
Associated War: Vietnam