1856 James Buchanan: An Extraordinary Campaign Flag

James Buchanan: An Extraordinary 1856 Campaign Flag. Among the various categories of political collectables, none is more highly prized than the colorful campaign banners in the style of American flags. With the exception of Zachary Taylor, such flag banners were produced for every winning presidential candidate from William Henry Harrison in 1840 up through, at least, Woodrow Wilson. Of this series, none is rarer than James Buchanan. For years, the example pictured in Threads in History and ensconced in a prominent Ohio collection was believed to be the only known Buchanan portrait flag. However, this magnificent example has recently surfaced, and may well set an all-time record for a political flag at auction.

The size is an impressive 21.5" x 15" as matted and shown. The cloth is actually larger, as the flag was never trimmed down from the white border as made, making the overall dimensions 22.5" x 17.5". The condition is excellent despite some minor light aging and one stain mark above "John" on the bottom stripe. The red and blue colors are particularly strong and vivid, which is rarely encountered in flags of this era. The condition is on the whole substantially superior to the Threads example, and with its large, bold portrait of Buchanan it makes a far more dramatic statement. A very special opportunity for the advanced collector of early political display items.



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Estimate: $275,000 - $357,500.




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