American Flag

The American Flag and Flag Day

June 14th is the anniversary in the United States of America of the adoption of the American flag by the Second Continental Congress in 1777. Although it was proclaimed as Flag Day in 1916, that date became National Flag Day in 1949 by an Act of Congress.

Before the American Revolution, the Red Ensign of Britain (which contained the Cross of St. George & the Cross of St. Andrew) was the flag that flew over the thirteen American colonies, the same one as was used in Canada.

Did you note that there is no red diagonal in the British flag portion in the top corner? That part, Ireland's Cross of St. Patrick, was added to their flag in 1801. This image was not a stamp.

The following few stamps are out of sequence in catalog numbers, but are in proper order chronologically.

Early American Flags

The stamps below were issued as part of a set for July 4th, 1968.

#1352 - The American “Grand Union flag”, was a pre-revolutionary war flag of the years 1775-76, considered by many to be the first national flag of the USA. It has 13 stripes for the 13 original colonies, but still has the British flag of the time in the canton (top corner).
#1350 - The “First Stars & Stripes” is the flag sewn by Betsy Ross, using a ring of 13 stars, with 5 points, and the usual 7 red & 6 white stripes. It was flown at Independence Hall when the Declaration of Independence was read on July 8, 1776. It was accepted in 1777 and used as the national flag from June 14, 1777 to May 1, 1795.

See Early Flags in “Independence Day - USA” for the other stamps in this issue, #1145-54

Notice the details in the designs following. This is why I call stamps 'little pieces of art'.

Commemoratives

#938 shows the 48 star flag with that of Texas, celebrating the Centenary of that state, in 1945.
#962 - Francis Scott Key with flags from 1814 & 1948 (the same 48-star version) in ’48, to honour the man who composed “The Star spangled Banner”. The 1814 flag flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812-14, when the British attack failed, inspiring him to write a poem which became the national anthem.
#1010 - shows Lafayette, an American flag & a French flag. Issued on June 13, 1952, the 175th anniversary of the “Arrival of Lafayette in America 1777” as mentioned on the stamp, it shows the 2 flags that were in use on that day in 1952.

#1094 from 1957 shows "Old Glory" and the slogan “Long May It Wave”. The flag has 48 stars
#1132 from 1959 has 49 stars, issued after Alaska joined the Union
#1153 from 1960 shows the American flag with 50 stars, after Hawaii joined. This is the version used now.

#1249 – Register—Vote 5¢. This was issued in 1964, a year for the presidential election, in a bid to get more people out to the polls.
#1320 – “We Appreciate Our Servicemen” & “25th Anniversary of US Savings Bonds”, from 1966, 5¢. The American flag is included with another popular symbol of the country, the Statue of Liberty.
#2116 – large booklet stamp depicting the flag over the capitol building. with words “Of the People, By the People, For the People”; 22¢, from 1985.

Definitives

Most of the flag stamps issued by the USA are definitives, put out when a new denomination was introduced. These come in sheet, booklet and coil versions, with variations in tagging as well, so check the catalog.

Definitives were seldom issued near the American Flag Day of June 14th, but I am using them here because they show the flag every day.

#1208 – This is the earliest definitive with an American flag, issued in 1963. It shows the flag over the White House, 5¢ face.
#1338 - The flag & White House, 6¢; from 1968 – denomination in blue.
#1338G – A coil version of the same picture, but 8¢; from 1971 - denomination in red.
#1509 – 10¢ crossed flags, a 48 star & Betsy Ross's 13 star; from 1973.
#1618c – A waving flag with words around the left & bottom “Land of the free – Home of the brave”. This 15¢ coil stamp was put out in 1978.

All of these stamps show the American flag straight in the design, not waving.

#1622 – A 13 star flag and Independence Hall. Look for booklets and coils of this 13¢ stamp from 1975.
#1623 – Here is the 50 star flag and the Capitol building, also a 13¢ from ‘75. It came in 2 different booklets only, no coils.

The next 3 stamps contain the American flag with scenery and words from the song "America the Beautiful", and are all 18¢, from 1981.

#1890 – Shows a grain field, and the words “for amber waves of grain”. Note the misprint of red across the bottom row of stars.
#1891 – Sea coast & lighthouse, and the words “from sea to shining sea”.
#1893 – Mountains and the words “for purple mountain majesties”.

#1895 – The flag and the Supreme Court, a 20¢ coil from 1981.
#2114 – This one showed the Capitol Building, the central portion of the larger #2116 commemorative; 22¢ (’85)
#2276 – With fireworks, 22¢ from ‘87
#2278 – With blue sky & clouds, 25¢; ‘87
#2280 – With mountain & forest, identified as Yosemite, 25¢; '87

The top row contains:

#2522 – The stars & stripes stylized, “F - For US addresses only” (29¢ value); this was for a rate change in ’91. In 1990, the same image, but with “25¢ USA" was issued as #2475.
#2523 – The flag and Mt. Rushmore, in 29¢ denomination, from ‘91. The image is light and there is a white outline around the '29'.
#2523A – This uses the same Mt. Rushmore image, but is a darker shade, and has no outline around '29'; also from ‘91. Both of these were coil stamps.

The bottom row has:

#2528 – American flag with Olympic rings, from 1991, 29¢.
#2531 – "Flags on parade" (3 of them), 29¢, It was in a Booklet only.
#2593 – A booklet stamp “I pledge allegiance...” 29¢ in black
#2594 - Same "I pledge allegiance..." stamp but 29¢ in red; both from ‘92.

I will add more here shortly.

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