47 star flag

[edw]

I have a flag that I believe is a 47 star flag with the 48th star added on. The rows are in 8"s and the last row is 7, but there is an obvious add on of the last star. A sewn square with a sewn star. If I would want to sell this flag, would I not be correct in describing it similar to the way I have done here? Thanks for recommendations.

[csaanv]

Hi edw! I think your description sounds adequate enough but it does not take much to trip some folks up these days. Could you post a picture of your unique flag? If you want to email it to me I can prep it and post it for you. I would really like to see this.
Best regards,
Mike
emmalpss(at)yahoo.com

[NAVA1974]

I have a flag that I believe is a 47 star flag with the 48th star added on. The rows are in 8"s and the last row is 7, but there is an obvious add on of the last star. A sewn square with a sewn star.

If that sewn patch you refer to is in the upper left corner, next to the hoist, then your flag is and always was a 48-star flag. The "48th star" on the sewn square was not added later: that sewn square is a reinforcement to the upper corner of the flag - the point of greatest stress on the fabric. I bet there is a similar square of red fabric sewn to the bottom red stripe, correct?

Nick

[edw]

I made a mistake on my first log in. I reexamined my "47" star flag. I noticed on the bottom stripes there was a sewn in square similar to the star, that I mentioned. I figured both sewn pieces are cloth reinforcements because they are located at the corner grommets. I apologize for making such a stupid mistake. Edw.

[NAVA1974]

I apologize for making such a stupid mistake. Edw.

Unless you are an expert on early 20th Century flag manufacture, you did not make a 'stupid' mistake. You merely made an incorrect assumption. Your error is more common than you know. I have sent similar messages to three or four eBay sellers who believed they, too, had 47-star flags that were updated with that 'star on a patch.'

A more common eBay error is the "silk 36-star flag." Over the years I have notified at least 10 different sellers of these small printed silk flags that they need to count the stars in ALL the rows. At first glance this relatively common flag appears to have 6 rows of six stars, but three of those rows (rows 2, 3, and 5) have 7 stars making the total 39. One such 39-star just closed on eBay but it was correctly identified:
Exc Orig Cond silk 39 star stars US USA flag 24" by 15" - eBay (item 200556509928 end time Dec-26-10 17:23:34 PST)

Nick

[AmericaHurrah]

Without looking, I'd guess that this star is in the upper hoist-end corner and sewn over top of a gusset. A gusset is usually original to the flag's construction, placed where the flag would get the most wear, usually at the top and bottom of the hoist.

Many people don't understand what gussets are and think that the star sewn onto it is added. A few years ago a 30+ year veteran Civil War dealer try to tell me a star very obviously sewn onto a gusset was added; so don't feel bad.

If you want to feel bad, do so for us losers with nothing to do but answer questions about flags on New Year's Eve. Lol

Happy New Year!