	AllExperts > Flags
	Search

About Albert Kirsch
Expertise
I am more-or-less expert in vexillology (the study of flags). My expertise is particularly strong in North America at the level of city and county, but if I don`t know the answer I know a dozen people who do. So if there`s a flag in the newspaper or on TV that you have trouble identifying, let me know. I`ll do my best. But PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME TO APPRAISE A FLAG'S VALUE: (1) I have no expertise in that area and (2) even if I did, I cannot appraise something I can't see. Take it to a museum which has a specialist in textiles and the like.

Experience
In this field, I designed the flag of Carroll County, Illinois, in 1974 (see http://www.internetni.com/~lanarklib/index.html). You can see my personal flag at http://www.nava.org/memflags.htm

You are here: Experts > Science > Geography > Flags > Gold Stripes on American Flag

Flags - Gold Stripes on American Flag

Expert: Albert Kirsch - 10/24/2009

Question
I have a flag I received at my uncle's funeral in 1955. This is THE flag that was placed on his casket. This flag has never left my family and has several gold stripes where the white stripes should be. The first, second, fourth, and sixth white stripes are all gold, while the third and fifth are white. Also there are only 48 stars, if this helps. No one I have asked has ever heard about this flag and I was wondering what the significance was in this pattern of gold stripes, and why the gold cloth was used. These stripes are not a stain, as other people have suggested because the threads used to hold the stripes together are still white. Any information you have is very much appreciated.

Answer
>>My gut instinct was to guess fading or running of nearby red stripes (red dyes are notorious for this) but you seem to have ruled this out. So I have posted it to my Yahoo group to see if any of them have some ideas and will relay to you the most plausible responses I get.

The only responses I got were that it is a fading/running of the red dye, and that the failure of the white thread to take it up is due to the fact that the thread is of a different material from the cloth of the flag itself. Other than that nobody has come up with anything and neither can I.

Add to this Answer Ask a Question