RCC/The Stars and Stripes: Still Going Strong at 225!

The Stars and Stripes: Still Going Strong at 225!

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia, adopted a resolution specifying the design of the flag of the fledgling United States. It read, “Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” With this resolution, the “Stars and Stripes” was born.

In 1877, Congress marked the centennial of the adoption of the Stars and Stripes as our national flag by instructing public buildings across the country to fly the flag on the June 14th anniversary date. No official national observances were held in the years that followed, but the idea caught on in cities and towns throughout the country and was celebrated on a continuing basis.

More than 70 years later, in 1949, Congress officially designated June 14th as Flag Day, a national day of observance and asked the President to issue an annual proclamation calling for its celebration. Each year the President fills this request and asks the American people to observe Flag Day by celebrating our nation’s heritage, past accomplishments and ongoing efforts to support freedom and democracy throughout the world.

In 1978, the Capitol Historical Society (CHS) sponsored a national commemorative medal that honored the bicentennials of three significant events in US history: the Continental Army’s winter at Valley Forge, the adoption of the Articles of Confederation, and adoption of the “Stars and Stripes” as our national flag. The CHS was created in 1962 to promote the history of the United States and the US Congress.

The medals were struck by the US Mint and produced in gold, silver and bronze. The 24-carat gold medal was 1-5/16” in diameter and contained a full ounce of pure gold; just 339 were struck. The silver and bronze pieces were struck in two diameters: 3 inches and 1-1/2 inches. The larger medals were struck in high relief while the smaller pieces were struck in low- or coin-relief. The medal was designed by Frank Gasparro, the Chief Sculptor and Engraver of the Mint. (Gasparro retired in 1981; he died in September, 2001.) Figure 1 presents the obverse of the high-relief piece; Figure 2 shows the medal’s reverse.

The gold pieces originally sold for $550; the large and small silver medals sold for $175 and $32.50, respectively; and the two bronze pieces were $25 and $7.50. The medal turned out to be the first in an annual series of pieces issued by the CHS to mark the many significant events that occurred between our declaration of independence in 1776 and the adoption of the U.S. Constitution in 1791.

So, this year, as we celebrate the 225th anniversary of our Stars and Stripes, remember to fly your flag on June 14th and take a moment to reflect on all that it has seen and all that it represents. With everything that has happened to our nation over the past year, I bet you’ll be glad that you did.

Until next month, Happy Collecting!

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