Ensigns, Jacks & Pennants from named American Vessels

13 Star U.S. Commercial or Merchantman's Jack of S.S. Arctic, 1850s This flag features the stylized arms of the U.S. The American bald eagle bearing the arrows of defense and the olive branch of peace under an arc of 13 white, five-point stars. This large flag, stenciled "Arctic" on the hoist was misidentified in the auction catalog

13 Star US Flag, Privateer Ensign, Revolutionary War Period This early Stars & Stripes Flag of the Revolutionary War belonged to the Revolutionary War privateer Minerva and it is believed to be the only named ship's ensign to have survived. It was formerly part of the acclaimed collection of noted antique dealer Mr. Boleslaw Mastai

17 Star, 17 Stripe U.S. Ensign, Privateer Blockade, War of 1812 captured by Captain James Clephan, HMS Charybdis This flag is significant for its rarity and symbolic importance. There are no other 17-stars with 17-stripes known U.S. flags to survive.

15 Star U.S. Jack- Merchant ship Vineyard, 1796-1818. This flag now bears 15 stars in three horizontal rows of 5 stars each, corresponding to the official U.S. jack for 1795 - 1818. The field is made of dark blue bunting, pieced horizontally by hand. From the William H. Bartlett Collection.

USS Constitution No. 1 Ensign - 1845 to 1850. This 28-star ensign, made to commemorate the admission of Texas is from the most famous ship in the United States Navy, the USS Constitution. These U.S. ensigns with these particular star counts were official between 1846 and 1851.

18 Star U.S. Abolitionist Exclusionary Flag. This flag flew on the ship United States when it departed Boston harbor in 1860 on the Hayes Arctic Expedition. Only 18 stars, arranged in two concentric rings around a central star, representing union, despite the fact that 33 stars should have been represented in the canton.

Second National Ensign of the CSS Alabama, June 1864. This flag is the second and final ensign from the CSS Alabama's last battle, hoisted after the spinnaker gaff on which she wore her ensign was shot away. This smaller ensign, likely a boat flag, was eventually struck in a battle against the USS Kearsarge off the coast of France in 1864.

Jack of the CSS Patrick Henry, CS Navy School Ship, Captain William Harwar Parker. This large wool flag is the 1863 - 1865 jack of the Confederate States Navy (C.S.N.), it is inscribed "Capt. Parker." A review of the roll of the commissioned officers of the C.S.N. reveals only three officers with the surname Parker.

A 45-Star U.S. Naval Flag from USS Olympia. This wool, 45 star flag was acquired with features attributing it to the USS Olympia; Admiral Dewey's flagship at Manila Bay.

USS Winslow - International Signal Code "N" shipboard made flag. This small blue and white checkered flag is the International Code of Signals flag "N", and was a part of a shipboard made signal flag set from the USS Winslow, a torpedo boat in service during the Spanish American War.

U.S.S. Shirk, U.S. Navy Burgee Command Pennant, 1919-1930 The broad command pennant is flown in lieu of the commission pennant by commanders of squadrons of ships or aircraft wings who are not flag officers. The burgee command pennant is used the same as the broad pennant, but by commanders of divisions of aircraft wings.

USS Texas, 7 Star Commission Pennant, 1928. This is a small No. 8, 7 star Commission Pennant from the USS Texas. It is too small to have been used on a battleship that size but was likely used on the captains' gig or any small boat bearing the captain as the commission pennant is the personal mark of a captain when embarked in a small boat

48 Star U.S. Ensign of U.S.S. Ancon, 1943 - Communications Command Ship, North Africa, Sicily, Normandy. The U.S.S. Ancon, the flagship of the Commander of the Atlantic Fleet Amphibious Forces, Rear Admiral Alan G. Kirk, wore this large wool ensign during the Allied Invasion of Sicily.

U.S.S. Phelps, 48 Star U.S. Jack, 1st U.S. Flag hoisted over Japanese Home Territory WWII, Feb. 1944 Upon dropping anchor in the harbor of Kwajalein, this "jack" (symbolizing the reuniting of the ship with "mother earth") was raised at the ship's bow, in accordance with navy traditions.

U.S. 48 Star Flag - Ensign of U.S.S. Hydrus. This ensign is typical of the 48 star wool flags that were mass-produced for the war effort. It is estimated that thousands of similar ensigns were issued to US ships, but in time, identifying specific flags with specific ships becomes more difficult.

48 Star U.S. Ensign from U.S.S. Decatur (DD-936) commissioned on 1954. This wool ensign was from the Decatur Grouping of flags and was mistaken at auction as an indentified WWI US ensign. However further inquiry has uncovered that it is, in fact, the US ensign from the 1950s which was used at the christening of the US Decatur in 1955.

USS Francis Scott Key, 7 star US Commissioning Pennant, Nuclear Submarine, used at launch, 1966 There are 7 white stars on the blue canton plus one red and one white stripe in the Navy's "commission pennant." In the great age of sailing vessels, all navy ships had a "suite of flags" -- jack, ensign, and pennant.

Unofficial U.S. Navy Ship's Flag - U.S.S. Parsons. This flag is an unofficial flag for the U.S.S. Parsons. Also called "Battle Flags" or "Unrep Flags." The term "unrep flag" derives from the unfurling of the ship's flag from a yardarm after an underway replenishment, or "unrep."). These flags are officially discouraged by the U.S. Navy.

U.S. 13 Star Coast Guard Ensign - Tug Capstain 1966 to present. This small, nyla-wool, United States Coast Guard (USCG) ensign is identified to the USCG Tug, Capstain, WYTL 65601, berthed at the USCG Station, Delaware Bay, Philadelphia, PA.

U.S. Navy 7 Star Commission Pennant - U.S.S. Tuscaloosa. This is a small, nylon, 7 star US Navy Commission Pennant from the USS Tuscaloosa that was presented to her skipper, Commander L. D. Mott when he relinquished command in 1973.

U.S. 50 Star Jack - USS Truxton Nuclear Guided Missile Cruiser 1967-1997. This jack is a blue nylon field, with 50 embroidered white stars in horizontal rows and had been the standard jack of the United States since 1960. Jacks are flown on the jacktaff at the bow of all U.S. naval vessels while at anchor or while dressing ship.