47 0r 48 star flag

[mcbride_cp]

I am reserching a 47 star flag that has recently come to my attention (see attached). I have seen four 47 star flags with 8-8-8-8-7-8 arrangement or 8-8-8-8-8-7 in NM museum collections. The flag in question looks like a 48 star flag with 2nd row top center star missing. It has a makers mark "Super Samson Bunting", a company who I believe created the 48 star flag 1912-1959. Did the company ever create a design for 47 star flag. What happened to the company after 1959? The flag currently resides in MD, has been owned by the same family, and is in pristine condition. No other provenance is known. Comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Pennie Mcbride

[Robin Hickman]

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Hello, Penny McBride !

Welcome to the USA-Flag-Site Forums !


[ The following is just my opinion based on what I could see in your picture and what I've seen in other picture's of Flags! ]


I believe that in most cases, a Flag with an "odd" number of Stars, or in "off-set" rows, the space where the "missing" star/stars should be would be at one end of a row or the other end.

The Flag that you have shows the missing star in the MIDDLE of the row. It would seem to me that the missing Star was removed somehow. In other words, it isn't a 47-Star Flag, but a 48-Star Flag with one Star missing.





In the "older" Flags I've seen, the Stars were appliques sewn-on back-to-back with the blue fabric of the Union in between. What about the other side of the Flag? Is there a Star missing too? And if so, does it coinside with the missing one on the first side? Does the one missing Star "mirror" the one on the other side?

I sure hope this helps! (Especially if I've gotten it right.....)


Anyways, Thank you for bringing your Flag-related question to our Forums !!!


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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[csaanv]

It has a makers mark "Super Samson Bunting", a company who I believe created the 48 star flag 1912-1959.

Penny, where did you hear that this company "created" the 48 star flag? What star arrangement do they claim to be their idea?
Thanks!
Mike

[AmericaHurrah]

This is an altered 48. 47's in my experience are not in traditional "notched" patterns and certainly not with a hole in the center. The forger of this flag was looking to put a hole in someone's pocket as well as the star field-- lol

[Peter Ansoff]

All,

I've moved this thread to the "Flag Identification and Collecting" section, since it seed to fit better there. There's a redirect in the former location. Sorry for the interruption -- back to your regularly scheduled forum!

Best,

Peter Ansoff
Forum Admin

[mcbride_cp]

All,
I have come across a few 48 star flags in my research that were produced by Super Samson Bunting. I have not heard of this company producing flags prior to 1912. Could thay have produced a 47 star flag as a prototype, there was never an official design? The owner of this flag has looked closely and there is no evidence that a 48 star was present. No star on back nor any perforated holes from machine stitching. Its curious!!!
Thank you for all your posts they have been most helpful, Pennie

[Robin Hickman]

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Here's a thought : Perhaps the "Super Samson Bunting Company" went out of business because the Stars kept falling off the U.S. Flags they made ???


Seriously, Pennie, could you post a few more pictures of the Flag in question? Preferably, close-ups showing the area of the "missing" Star and some of the other construction details?


Thank You !


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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[NAVA1974]

I agree that this flag was very unlikely to have been made with 47 stars. In the few instances where the number of stars led to a simple arrangement of stars (36 = 6x6, 42 = 6x7) we do see the rows and columns lined up perfectly, but we rarely see all the stars pointing in the same direction (until Taft's Executive Order in 1912). It is not at all likely that someone would arrange 47 stars in a 6x8 configuration to create 48 'star positions', then only populate 47 of them with stars. The flag with a "missing star" was intended to be a 48 star flag and either the star was removed after the fact or omitted in the manufacturing process, either accidentally or as a practical joke.

Nick

[Robin Hickman]

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Speaking of Sampson Bunting.....

This 5'x8' beauty just showed up on eBay all the way from Bangor, Maine !!! There are a total of 12 pictures in the item's description (four of which are "Copy/Pasted" below) and they ALL can be "SUPER-sized"!

"BUY IT NOW" or "Make Offer" = $99.99 (FREE Shipping!)


http://cgi.ebay.com/5-x-8-Samson-Bunting-48-Star-American-flag-/250740464225?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a614b da61


ITEM DESCRIPTION : "You are bidding on a vintage 48 sewn-on star American flag. It measures 5' x 8' and is excellent physical condition for its age. There are no holes, tears, fraying, or odors. The flag could use a cleaning but I will leave that up to the new owner. Most dry cleaners now offer to clean US flags free of charge if you decide you would like it spiffed up. This is a very solid old flag and a great piece of collectible US history."

PICTURES :








I know it's not Sampson SUPER Bunting, but at least it's "Sampson Bunting".


Robin Hickman
Eugene, Oregon, USA
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[NAVA1974]

Thanks, Robin!

Just out of curiosity I checked a few of my old flag catalogs to find out who made "Samson Bunting" and found that it was a trademark of Collegeville Flag Mfg. Company of Collegeville, PA. Their catalogs tout "Stanco Quallity Flags" and I notice that they are also the manufacturers of "Storm King Bunting."

Nick