Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice World War Two Era Gold Fringe 48 Star American Flag, in a nice displayable 36 x 63” size. The flag body is of multi-piece cotton bunting construction, with the stars sewn on. It has a header for attachment to a pole.

The flag does show some heavy wear, with some scattered mothing but no major damage. It has very heavy age toning, so the white is now somewhat beige and the canton is now more of a violet. The flag does have a smell to it, akin to these old fringe flags. A very nice example, ready to be properly displayed!

The general rule of thumb is that cotton flags were issued during WWII and nylon flags were issued during the Korean War. Flags made prior to WWII were made of a wool blend.

According to The American Legion, gold fringe has been used in American flags since the 1830s. In the late 1800s, it was adopted for use in the Army. All regiments of the U.S. Army soon began using them. The U.S. Army Regulation Code even includes a section about the gold fringe. According to the Code, gold fringe should be used in American flags that are displayed either indoors or outdoors.

Of course, if you look through the U.S. Flag Code – the federal law governing the display, maintenance and retirement of the American flag – you won’t find any mention of gold fringe. Neither older versions of the U.S. Flag Code nor the current version mention anything about gold fringe. Considering that the U.S. Flag Code is designed specifically for the American flag, you might be wondering why it doesn’t mention anything about it. Unfortunately, it’s not known why the U.S. Flag Code doesn’t discuss the American flag’s gold fringe. We only know that it was originally used in American flags displayed by the U.S. Army.