Lot 53
First Published Appearance of the American Flag, 1783. From the German almanac, "Historisch Genealogischer Calender Oder Jahrbuch," published by Haude and Spener, Berlin, 1783. The engraving is one of twelve copper plates accompanying an article by Professor Matthias Sprengel of the University of Halle, illustrating incidents in the American Revolution. This engraving, considered the first accurate published view of the Stars and Stripes, shows the flag with 13 red, blue, and white stripes in sequence, so that the first and last stripes are red. The stars are five-pointed, arranged in a 3-2-3-2-3 pattern, and are painted in black on the blue canton. A similar design appears in the pennant. Sheet is 3¾ x 2¼"; rag matted in a gilt frame to 11½ x 9".
$900 - 1,200
Ex. The Claude Harkins Collection of Americana; Thomaston Place Auctions Galleries, Inc., 11/6/2012; Marvin Sadik Collection.
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| Realized $528 |
