Flag Day and every day . . . hooray for the red white and blue

This Sunday, June 14 is Flag Day. There have been 27 official American flags since June 14, 1777, when Congress adopted the Stars and Stripes this nation’s naval banner on the high seas.
That’s why we celebrate Flag Day each June 14. But officially each American flag since the fourth one was born on the Fourth of July.
Starting with the fourth flag, adopted on July 4, 1819 with 21 stars, adding Illinois, the official birthday for each subsequent flag would be the next Fourth of July after a state or states became a part of the union.
Our current 50-star flag was adopted on July 4, 1960 with the addition of Hawaii on August 21, 1959.
These are just a few fascinating facts about flags that I learned from Dr. Jeffery Kohn, one of the leading flag experts and appraisers in the country. I had called on Dr. Kohn as a consultant to appraise the extensive, and as it turned out, quite valuable, collection of flags at the Cape May County Historical Museum.
Flags are easy to date because of the number of stars. To be certain, however, there are other factors to look for. Earlier flags will often be hand sewn and pieced together, because looms to manufacture large pieces of cloth were not available until the late 19th Century.
Metal grommets around the holes where the flag would be hooked to a rope weren’t manufactured until the around 1860s. Before that the holes would be re-enforced with stitching.
There is also a whole glossary of official terms used to describe a flag.
For instance, the section closest to the staff (flag pole) is called the sleeve. The length of the flag from the sleeve to the free end is called the fly, and the width is called the hoist. The color section of the flag, not including the sleeve, is called the field and the blue quadrant with the stars is called the canton.
Not all American flags had the stars in rows. Some used a wreath or double wreath design for the stars. And on some flags you will notice new stars sewn on to keep them up to date.
Old flags are valued by their age and condition. If the flag can be proven to have any specific historical significance, its value can be significantly enhanced.
If you have a question about an old flag, write to Dr. Jeffery Kohn at his shop, With All Due Ceremony, 503 Elkins Avenue, Elkins Park, PA 19027.
Appraisals: 25-stars, Civil war era, 90-inches by 175-inches ($2,500); 34-stars, printed lines, sewn in three sections, 22-inches by 68-inches ($600); 34-stars, double wreath pattern, printed silk, 18-inches by 28-inches ($900); 40-stars, hand sewn, 98-inches by 204-inches ($250); Most flags with more stars are priced between $20 to $80, unless unusual in design or size or historically significant.
—Arthur Schwerdt, a certified appraiser, is author of “The Antique Story Book: Finding the Real Value of Old Things,” and co-owner of The August Farmhouse Antiques on Route 9 in Swainton. Send your comments, questions and appraisal requests to aschwerdt@cmcherald.com.