Woven Wool and Cotton Twenty-two Star American Flag

Description:

Woven Wool and Cotton Twenty-two Star American Flag, c. 1819, handstitched flag with an arrangement of stars in five staggered rows of 5-4-5-3-5 appliqued separately on either side of the flag to the canton, canvas heading securing a rope with a wooden toggle at the top and a running eye at the bottom, an inscription in ink on the heading reads: "Presented to Capt. C.H. Beckshafft by W. H. Ball," (imperfections),approx. 42 x 97 in.

Note: Alabama was the 22nd state, admitted to the Union on December 14, 1819. However, Maine was admitted as the 23rd state on March 15, 1820, and in accordance with the then existing flag law, the stars for both Alabama and Maine were officially added to the United States flag on July 4, 1820. Therefore there never was an official twenty-two star flag and there is a strong presumption that this flag was made at the time when Alabama was a state (or about to become a state) and before its star was added to the national flag on July 4, 1820.
Estimate $3,000-5,000

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