Jun 12 at 12:00 PM - Sale 2708 -

Sale 2708 - Lot 59

Estimate: $ 1,000 - $ 1,500
(CIVIL WAR--CONFEDERATE.) Pair of artistic depictions of the new South Carolina state palmetto flag. Two pieces, each 3¾ x 2¼ inches, painted on card (or card and silk); minimal wear. No place, circa 1861-1865
Request Condition Report Set Alert for Similar Items

Additional Details

South Carolina seceded on 20 December 1860, weeks before their first wave of successors. When they announced their first state flag on 26 January 1861, it became a symbol for secessionists everywhere. The official flag showed a white palmetto tree and white crescent on a blue background. These two flags do not quite match the official design, although the South Carolina connection is clear.

One shows the palmetto on the blue background, but omits the crescent. It is painted on an actual piece of silk laid down on a carte-de-visite card mount, with added adornments painted directly onto the card. It is captioned "Animis Opibusque Parati, South Carolina," the Latin state motto ("Prepared in mind and resources").

The other piece is painted directly onto a carte-de-visite mount. It shows two crossed flags: a palmetto flag on a red background with 13 stars, crossed with a blue flag bearing a white star. The red palmetto flag is similar to that flown by cadets at The Citadel. The "Bonnie Blue" lone star flag had been hoisted by Mississippi when they became the second state to secede on 9 January 1861, and became an unofficial Confederate flag during the early months of the war.

Also in This Catalogue