Anonymous ID: f79d4b Feb. 6, 2021, 3 p.m. No.12843954   🗄️.is 🔗kun   >>4025 >>4317 >>4361

Why Do Some American Flags Have Gold Fringe?

https://starspangledflags.com/why-do-some-american-flags-have-gold-fringe/

 

Have you ever wondered why some American flags have gold fringe on the edges? While most American flags feature a traditional design consisting of 13 stripes and 50 stars, some are embellished with gold fringe. The edges are essentially covered with gold-colored material or fabric, resulting in a unique appearance that’s not found in traditional American flags. So, what’s the purpose of the story behind this gold fringe exactly?

 

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 began using American flags with gold fringe around this time. The U.S. Army Regulation Code even includes a section about the gold fringe. According to the Regulation Code, gold fringe should be used in American flags that are displayed either indoors or outdoors.

 

Of course, 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 of the U.S. Flag Code mention 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 gold fringe. Well, unfortunately, it’s not known why the U.S. Flag Code doesn’t discuss the American flag’s gold fringe. We only know that gold fringe was originally used in American flags displayed by the U.S. Army.

 

While the most probable theory regarding the gold fringe is that it originated in the U.S. Army, another theory is that it’s used to designate Admiralty courts. An admiralty court is a court system that operates under martial law. In other words, it’s a military court that upholds law and order for a civilian population rather than the normal government or judicial system. You’ll often discover American flags with gold fringe in courtrooms throughout the United States. However, that doesn’t mean the gold fringe designates Admiralty courts. There have been lawsuits filed in the past claiming the gold fringe designates Admiralty courts, but all of these lawsuits have been shot down.

 

The bottom line is that, officially, gold fringe on the American flag doesn’t indicate anything. It’s simply a decorative feature that can either be added to the American flag or left off. It was originally used by the U.S. Army, though you can now find gold-fringed American flags elsewhere.

Anonymous ID: f79d4b Feb. 6, 2021, 3:10 p.m. No.12844021   🗄️.is 🔗kun

About the Gold Fringe on the American Flag

https://www.armystudyguide.com/content/army_board_study_guide_topics/flags/about-the-gold-fringe-on-.shtml

 

Gold fringe is used on the National flag as an honorable enrichment only. It is not regarded as an integral part of the flag and its use does not constitute an unauthorized addition to the design prescribed by statutes.

 

Records of the Department of the Army indicate that fringe was used on the National flag as early as 1835 and its official use by the Army dates from 1895. There is no record of an Act of Congress or Executive Order which either prescribes or prohibits the addition of fringe, nor is there any indication that any symbolism was ever associated with it. The use of fringe is optional with the person or organization displaying the flag.

 

A 1925 Attorney General’s Opinion (34 Op. Atty. Gen 483) states:

 

“The fringe does not appear to be regarded as an integral part of the flag, and its presence cannot be said to constitute an unauthorized additional to the design prescribed by statute. An external fringe is to be distinguished from letters, words, or emblematic designs printed or superimposed upon the body of the flag itself. Under the law, such additions might be open to objection as unauthorized; but the same is not necessarily true of the fringe.”

 

It is customary to place gold fringe on silken (rayon-silk-nylon) National flags that are carried in parades, used in official ceremonies, and displayed in offices, merely to enhance the beauty of the flag. The use of fringe is not restricted to the Federal Government. Such flags are used and displayed by our Armed Forces, veterans, civic and civilian organizations, and private individuals. However, it is the custom not to use fringe on flags displayed from stationary flagpoles and, traditionally, fringe has not been used on internment flags.