Antiquarian flag books available

[NAVA1974]

Did any of guys get the book?

CRW flags of Glen Burnie, Maryland, won it. Here's his website: CRW Flags Inc. Store in Glen Burnie, Maryland

Nick A
Columbia MD

[maggiebankston@aol.com]

Well, Nick, have you found out anything more on the 48 gold starred American flag? I would sure like to know if you found out anything for sure about the history. Please...

[NAVA1974]

Well, Nick, have you found out anything more on the 48 gold starred American flag? I would sure like to know if you found out anything for sure about the history. Please...

Hello Maggiebankston,

I notice you also posted at Flag with gold stars?

As you can see in the earlier posts on that thread, the "gold" stars are just white stars that have discolored over time. They were never intended to be gold stars, they just aged to a golden-brown color. And while doing so, as you noted, they caused discoloration of the white stripes that they were pressing against while folded for so many years.

In 40+ years of studying and collecting American flags I have never found anything to substantiate 48-star internment flags being made with gold stars. What IS known is that Service Flags that normally have one or more blue stars on a white rectangle with red border, ARE MODIFIED WITH A GOLD STAR covering the blue star when the warfighter is killed in action. USA flags with "gold" stars have never been issued as casket flags.

Also, during the 1800's the US Army used gold stars on its silk Regimental Standards and cavalry guidons. Why? Because those flags of silk had the stars painted on, and everyone knows that silver tarnishes to black over time. Black stars on a blue field do not show up, but gold stars remain golden forever.

What is also known is that white stars ON OTHER FLAGS of the World War II era have been known to turn golden brown over the period of a half-century.

Nick A

[csaanv]

Hi maggiebankston,
I have to concur with my friend, Nick. I have been collecting 48 star flags for about 25 years and even had a naval ensign with a single "gold" or really it was a tan star among the other 47 stars which tells me that it came from a batch of inferior or treated cotton. Like Nick said most people are confused when people are talking about the special Service Flag with a real gold star (and not tan).

Screen shot 2011-08-30 at 8.25.42 AM.png
images by Rick Wyatt