Frame Size (H x L): 15” x 18.5”
Flag Size (H x L): 7” x 12”

Offered is a forty-six star flag printed on silk with a beautiful blue canton and deep red stripes. The stars are arranged in an 8-7-8-8-7-8 pattern. The stars in the first, third, fourth, and sixth rows are canted to the 11:00 position, while the stars in the second and fifth rows are canted to the 1:00 position.

This flag includes an overprint. An overprint is printing on the face of the flag, either on its canton or its stripes. Overprinted flags are typically made of cotton, silk, or paper, and typically date to between 1860 and the early 1900s. Overprints cover a variety of topics, including political candidates, political organizations, commercial advertisements, and historic events, just to name a few examples. In the case of this flag, the overprint across the bottom three white stripes states the following:

ONE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF THE
BIRTHDAY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, FEBRAURY 12, 1909
LINCOLN PARK CHAPTER, No. 177, R.A.M.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12th, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky, to Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks Lincoln. Thomas moved to Kentucky in 1782, and he married Nancy in 1806. Thomas was a carpenter and farmer, and he lived on Sinking Spring Farm, where Abraham was born, and later lived on a farm in Knob Creek. Thomas was forced to leave both farms, as a result of boundary and title disputes. Frustrated by Kentucky’s chaotic land laws, Thomas and his family moved to Indiana in 1814.

The Lincoln Park Chapter of the Royal Arch Masons produced this flag. The Royal Arch Masons is a society of men concerned with morals and values, and one of the world’s oldest and most popular fraternal organizations. The Lincoln Park Chapter is located on Chicago’s North Side.

We are aware of just one other example of this particular flag, the other of which is in Richard Pierce’s collection and featured in a full page illustration on page 56 of his book, the Stars and Stripes: Fabric of the American Spirit. Pierce has been collecting American parade flags since 1991, and has one of the leading collections thereof. The combination of the rarity of this flag, its Lincoln overprint, and its superb condition makes for a tremendous blend of desirable features in just one flag.

The forty-six star flag represents the inclusion of Oklahoma to the Union. Oklahoma was admitted on November 16th, 1907, and this flag became official on July 4th, 1908. Many Native Americans were driven to the region now known as Oklahoma—as a result of the Trail of Tears and the Indian Relocation Act—and promised that the region would forever be an Indian Territory. The allure of the Indian Territory’s agricultural opportunities, however, was a catalyst for the passage of the Indian Appropriations Act in 1889, which opened the territory to white settlement and lead to the Land Rush. Oklahoma became known as the Sooner State, based on the large number of settlers who illegally crossed into the state, so as to get a head start and claim the best properties.

Presidents Teddy Roosevelt and William Taft served under served under the forty-six star flag. While it did not become official until 1908, many examples are anticipatory in nature and date to as far back as the 1890s. The forty-six star flag was official up until July 4th, 1912 when the forty-eight star became official and began to represent the inclusion of New Mexico and Arizona in the Union.

Conservation Process: This flag is sandwiched behind Optium Museum Acrylic.

Frame: This offering is in a modern black frame.

Condition Report: This flag is nearly flawless.

Collectability Level: The Best – Perfect for Advanced Collectors
Date of Origin: 1909
Number of Stars: 46
Associated State: Oklahoma