Rare 21-star U.S. flag now in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – A rare 21-star flag is now on display at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield. Illinois became the 21st state in 1818, and the following year on July 4, 1819 the 21-star flag became official.

The Museum obtained the flag in an auction for $15,625. It was sent to Chicago for restoration in preservation which cost an additional $16,000. It went on display for the first time on Thursday.

The flag is made of cotton. It features a “grand luminary” pattern–meaning its stars are in the pattern of one large star. It is 7.4 feet wide by 6.4 feet tall.

21-star flags were only used for one year when two more stars were added were added for Alabama and Maine. It will remain on public display for about 6 months.