Unusual 48 Star Flag

[BillyRuffian]

I'm an Appraiser and attempting to determine the Replacement Value of an unusual 48 star American Flag. In the canton, all the rows have eight stars but the 1st, 3rd, and 5th rows are offset 1/2 star to the left and the even numbered rows are offset to the right. Almost looks like the current 50 star arrangement except there are only six rows and 48 stars.
Appreciate it if anyone knows when this pattern of flag was made and if any have sold on the secondary market. An old post on the "Flags of The World" web site said this offset star pattern was produced for a short period in 1912. We're just trying to advise the client on how much insurance to carry on the flag but it's always nice if we can provide information on the history of the object. The flag is in a museum collection so it's not going to be sold, but it may be helpful to someone in the flag community to know that this flag actually exists.
Thanks
BillyRuffian

[american_flag_uk]

Hi there -

'Many people are not aware that for the first 135-year existence of the Stars & Stripes, there was no official way to configure its stars. It was not until 1912 that an official design was adopted, following an executive order of President Taft'

There were several different arranements for the 48 stars on the flag - before President Taft called a halt on this, and set the star pattern and design to one in particular
On the wall behind me I have a 48 star flag with its stars in 6 rows of 8, but rows 1,3 and 5, the stars lean to the left, and rows 2,4 and 6 lean to the right

you can see some of it next to my Statue of Liberty here


The 48 star flag came into official use July 4th 1912 - so that can only leave a few months at best (I dont know the exact date that Taft ordered the stars be a certain way... Peter do you know?) that these flags with different star patterns could have been used.

It is very likely that most of the patterns were thought up, and made prior to 1912 so the flags we have with different star patterns with 48 stars could indeed have been made in 1910 or 11.

[BillyRuffian]

Hi - Thanks for the picture, I read somewhere that Taft's order was that the stars had to have the point up. I'll have to dig a bit more to find when we finally dictated that the rows and columns line up. At least now I have two sources pointing to circa 1912. That helps a lot.
Cheers

[fast1]

how many flags do you have american_flag_uk?

[american_flag_uk]

In that picture, there is 2, because at the time we didnt have 2 curtains, so, the flag was a temporary curtain, that we pegged up to the curtain pole.. it looked pretty cool actually!

In answer to you question, I have about 110 US flags, and about 40 others (other countries, state, and territory flags)
Heres a pc of my US flag collection about this time last year, with me.
Now thats what I call camoFLAGe!!!! LOL

[BillyRuffian]

Hi
Just figured out how to include attachments so here is an image of the 48 star flag.

[american_flag_uk]

thats a nice flag!

I have seen that pattern before on flags..

Here is one I found.
This one, the 1st row of stars is nearer the stripes- the oppoisite of yours!

[BillyRuffian]

Hi
Just to let you know what I figured out.
Per Leepson in Flag, An American Biography, pages 178-179. - The Dewey Commission was tasked to sort out what the flag should look like after a study in 1907 showed that federal agencies were flying 66 different sizes/proportioned flags. The Commission recommended the 48 star flag have the stars arranged in six horizontal even rows of eight stars each with one point of each star facing up. President Taft accepted their recommendation and on June 24, 1912 signed the Executive Order defining the 48 star arrangement for government flags. The order was not binding on non-government flags, but served to reign in the creativity of flagmakers.
The flag design I’ve working on is depicted on page 233 of Mastai’s The Stars and Stripes. Its in a Combination Flag of the flags of the WWI Allied Nations. Since it clearly is of the 1914-1918 era, not everyone was on-board with the “official” 48 star arrangement. The exciting thing about flags is that there are always a few deviations from the "Norm".

Cheers

[cleonetti]

Hi people,
Great info you guys share. I'm new to this site but I signed up to get some info of my own. my 10 star flag 13 stripe flag .....it's been in my family for 3 generations ......can you help : ) also how do you attach a picture

[BillyRuffian]

To attach a picture, hit "Go Advanced" next to "Post Quick Reply" and look for the PaperClip symbol - then just find your image and send it.