ZFC Item Section - U.S. 16 Star Navy Boat Flag.

Exhibits Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.
Exhibition Copy	Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 GALLERY III (ZFC0029) 16-Star United States Navy Boat Flag Date: 18571861 Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars; hand-stitched Comment: Although this flag bears only 16 stars, it does not date from immediately after 1796 when Tennessee became the Unions sixteenth state. Rather it is clearly a U.S. Navy boat flag dating from 1855-1860. It is one of the boat flags of the first pattern adopted, characterized by a reduced complement of stars, as is clear from its design and the NYC (Navy Yard Charlestown) stamped on its heading. From 1798 through the mid-1850s U.S. Navy ensigns manufactured at navy yards had as many stars as there were states in the Union. By 1855, when the total of the states had grown to 31, it was discovered that the great number of stars in the canton of smaller ensigns, when viewed from a distance, became indeterminate. By 1857 authorities at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston had resolved this problem by reducing the number of stars to 16 for the five authorized boat flag sizes. While it is possible that local abolitionists influenced that decision, it is more likely that practicality and aesthetics induced the flag makers to choose the four rows of four stars each as the star pattern. By 1862, the navy yards were using a different pattern involving only 13 stars.

Exhibits

Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.

Exhibition Copy

Second Presidio Exhibit, 2003 GALLERY III
(ZFC0029)
16-Star United States Navy Boat Flag
Date: 18571861
Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars; hand-stitched
Comment: Although this flag bears only 16 stars, it does not date from immediately after 1796 when Tennessee became the Unions sixteenth state. Rather it is clearly a U.S. Navy boat flag dating from 1855-1860. It is one of the boat flags of the first pattern adopted, characterized by a reduced complement of stars, as is clear from its design and the NYC (Navy Yard Charlestown) stamped on its heading. From 1798 through the mid-1850s U.S. Navy ensigns manufactured at navy yards had as many stars as there were states in the Union. By 1855, when the total of the states had grown to 31, it was discovered that the great number of stars in the canton of smaller ensigns, when viewed from a distance, became indeterminate. By 1857 authorities at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston had resolved this problem by reducing the number of stars to 16 for the five authorized boat flag sizes. While it is possible that local abolitionists influenced that decision, it is more likely that practicality and aesthetics induced the flag makers to choose the four rows of four stars each as the star pattern. By 1862, the navy yards were using a different pattern involving only 13 stars.

PDF for Publications

13 Star Flags - Key to Identification

Publications Title information is available upon specific request. Additional information available upon request to researchers, writers and others demonstrating special circumstances. In some situations, information may not be available.
Publication Copy	Cooper, Grace Rogers, Thirteen Star Flags: Keys to Identification. Washington D.C., 1973, pp. 33-34. Sixteen-Star Flags The sixteen-star style was not adopted as official. There are no known surviving sixteen-star flags contemporary with the period of sixteen states from June 1, 1796 to March 1, 1803. At least, that is, none from this period have come to light. (Since this was published some have been discovered.) There were, however, sixteen-star flags. Another sixteen-star is in the collection of The Flag House, Baltimore, Maryland. (It is now ZFC0029.) Although it is not stamped with a date, it seems to be of the same period (1861) and is stamped "6 ft Boat Ensign NYC." The bunting is the same single-ply warp type. There are two selvedge to selvedge widths in the blue; one is 9 inches and the other is 12 inches, the size suggested by Farrington in his letter 1869 to the brigadier general of the quartermaster station in New York City." (See PDF of book below) Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 67. 16-Star United States Navy Boat Flag Although this flag bears only 16 stars, it does not date from immediately after 1796 when Tennessee became the Unions sixteenth state. Rather it is clearly a U.S. Navy boat flag dating from 1857 to 1861 during the presidency of James Buchanan. It is one of those boat flags of the first pattern adopted, characterized by a reduced complement of stars, as is clear from its design and the NYC (Navy Yard Charlestown) stamped on its heading. From 1798 through the mid-1850s U.S. Navy ensigns manufactured at navy yards had as many stars as there were states in the Union. By 1855, when the total of the states had grown to 31, it was discovered that the great number of stars in the canton of smaller ensigns, when viewed from a distance, became indeterminate. By at least 1857 authorities at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston had resolved this problem by reducing the number of stars to 16 for the 5 authorized boat flag sizes. While it is possible that local abolitionists influenced that decision, it is more likely that practicality and aesthetics induced the flag makers to choose the four rows of four stars each as the star pattern. By 1862, the navy yards were using a different pattern involving only 13 stars. Date: 1857 1861 Size: 38" hoist x 71" fly Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars; hand-stitched Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD. Gifted to the Flag House by Col. & Mrs. Jesse J. Hinson of Baltimore in 1966. ZFC0029
Publication Images	Cover P.33 P.34

Publications

Publication Copy

Cooper, Grace Rogers, Thirteen Star Flags: Keys to Identification. Washington D.C., 1973, pp. 33-34.

Sixteen-Star Flags
The sixteen-star style was not adopted as official. There are no known surviving sixteen-star flags contemporary with the period of sixteen states from June 1, 1796 to March 1, 1803. At least, that is, none from this period have come to light. (Since this was published some have been discovered.) There were, however, sixteen-star flags. Another sixteen-star is in the collection of The Flag House, Baltimore, Maryland. (It is now ZFC0029.) Although it is not stamped with a date, it seems to be of the same period (1861) and is stamped "6 ft Boat Ensign NYC." The bunting is the same single-ply warp type. There are two selvedge to selvedge widths in the blue; one is 9 inches and the other is 12 inches, the size suggested by Farrington in his letter 1869 to the brigadier general of the quartermaster station in New York City." (See PDF of book below)

Madaus, Howard M., Dr, Whitney Smith, The American Flag: Two Centuries of Concord and Conflict. Santa Cruz: VZ Publications, 2006, p. 67.

16-Star United States Navy Boat Flag
Although this flag bears only 16 stars, it does not date from immediately after 1796 when Tennessee became the Unions sixteenth state. Rather it is clearly a U.S. Navy boat flag dating from 1857 to 1861 during the presidency of James Buchanan. It is one of those boat flags of the first pattern adopted, characterized by a reduced complement of stars, as is clear from its design and the NYC (Navy Yard Charlestown) stamped on its heading. From 1798 through the mid-1850s U.S. Navy ensigns manufactured at navy yards had as many stars as there were states in the Union. By 1855, when the total of the states had grown to 31, it was discovered that the great number of stars in the canton of smaller ensigns, when viewed from a distance, became indeterminate. By at least 1857 authorities at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston had resolved this problem by reducing the number of stars to 16 for the 5 authorized boat flag sizes. While it is possible that local abolitionists influenced that decision, it is more likely that practicality and aesthetics induced the flag makers to choose the four rows of four stars each as the star pattern. By 1862, the navy yards were using a different pattern involving only 13 stars.
Date: 1857 1861
Size: 38" hoist x 71" fly
Media: Wool bunting with cotton stars; hand-stitched
Provenance: Acquired by the Zaricor Flag Collection in 1996 from the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Collection of Baltimore, MD. Gifted to the Flag House by Col. & Mrs. Jesse J. Hinson of Baltimore in 1966.
ZFC0029

Publication Images

Cover

P.33

P.34