1776-1876 Centennial Parade Flag

This is an extremely rare 1876 Centennial celebration parade flag design that was popular at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876. In the Canton of this flag, 38 stars are arranged to form 1776. The count of 38 reflects Colorado’s pending statehood. 42 stars make up the numerals 1876. This may reflect speculation that 2 more states would soon join the Union. Flags with stars that spell out numeric or alphabetical characters are among the rarest of all designs. Only 3 other designs are currently known to exist.