Delaware (U.S.)

Last modified: 2002-09-28 by rick wyatt
Keywords: delaware | united states |
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• Legal Description
• State Seal
• Governor's flag
• Colors of the flag

See also:

• Lewes
• Sussex County
• Delaware Facts Web Page
• Swedes at Ft. Christina
• United States of America
• States of the United States
• U.S. Continental Army's uniforms

One of the original 13 colonies, Delaware is represented by a star and a stripe on the 13 star U.S. flags.

Delaware Code
Section 306. State flag. The design of the official state flag shall be as follows: A background of colonial blue surrounding a diamond of buff in which diamond is placed the correct coat of arms of the State in the colors prescribed by law and in accordance with section 301 of this title, with the words, "December 7, 1787," to be inscribed underneath the diamond. The official state colors, colonial blue and buff, are designated by the Textile Color Card Association of the United States, Inc., New York, as "arno blue" Cable No. 10663, and "golden beige" Cable No. 10781 respectively; the color shades having been determined by Colorimetric Specifications of the National Bureau of Standards, United States Department of Commerce, in Test No. 2, 1/140565, dated November 18, 1954, which is on file with the Delaware Public Archives, Dover, Delaware. The colors of the coat of arms and other elements of the state flag shall be the following: Husbandman, trousers of gray brown, shirt of red, hat and hilling hoe of brown; rifleman, suit of green, binding, bag and leggings of buff, hat of brown, powder flask and feather of gray; shield, frame of shaded yellow, top panel of orange, center panel of blue, lower panel of white, ox of red brown, grass and corn of green, wheat and branches underfoot of yellow, heraldic wreath to be blue and silver twisted); ship under full sail to have a dark hull and white sails; date, December 7, 1787, to be white; cord and tassels to be blue and gold.
Joe McMillan, 10 February 2000

Section 301. Great Seal. The seal now used as the Great Seal of this State and bearing the arms of this State shall be the Great Seal of this State. It is emblazoned as follows: Party per fess, or and argent, the first charged with a garb (wheat sheaf) in bend dexter and an ear of maize (Indian Corn) in bend sinister, both proper; the second charged with an ox statant, ruminating, proper; fess, wavy azure, supporters on the dexter a husbandman with a hilling hoe, on the sinister a rifleman armed and accoutred at ease. Crest, on a wreath azure and argent, a ship under full sail, proper, with the words "Great Seal of the State of Delaware" and the words "Liberty and Independence" engraved thereon.
Joe McMillan, 10 February 2000

Section 307. Governor's flag. The official flag of the Governor of the State shall be identical to the official flag of this State except that it shall also bear a fringe of gold surrounding the edge of the flag and the pole upon which the Governor's flag is carried shall have mounted thereon a model of a blue hen's fighting cock.
Joe McMillan, 10 February 2000

The Colors of the flag of the State of Delaware seems to be fixed as follows:

                                        Munsell         PNT*
COLONIAL BUFF                           10YR 7/4        S24-1
COLONIAL BLUE                           2.5B 6/4        S238-6
Farmer:
        Trousers        Gray Brown      5Y 6/2          S42-7
        Shirt           Red             5R 4/12         S89-1
        Hat & Hoe       Brown           2.5YR 3/2       S317-1
        Face & Hands    Flesh           10R 9/2         S61-9
Rifleman:
        Suit            Green           5GY 4/4         S293-1
        Binding, Bag
          & Leggings    Buff            10YR 7/4        S24-4
        Hat, Gun Stock  Brown           2.5YR 3/2       S317-1
        Flask, Feather,
          Gun Barrel    Gray            2.5B 3/2        S327-3
        Face & Hands    Flesh           10R 9/2         S61-9
Shield:
        Frame           Shaded Yellow   5Y 8/10         S5-3
        Top Panel       Orange          7.5YR 7/12      S36-2
        Center Panel    Blue            10B 6/6         S235-6
        Lower Panel     White
        Ox              Red Brown       10R 4/6         S317-5
        Grass &
          Corn Husk     Green           5GY 5/6         S293-2
        Corn            Yellow          5Y 8.5/12       S5-4
        Wheat           Yellow          5Y 9/6          S5-5
        Branches
          underfoot     Yellow          5Y 8/10         S5-3
        Emblem above    Blue and silver
                          (twisted)     2.5B 6/4        Blue S238-6
                                        10B 8/1         Silver S235-9
Bark:
        Hull            Brown           2.5YR 3/2       S317-1
        Sails           White
        Water           Blue            10B 6/6         S235-6
        Bunting         White
        Liberty &
          Independence,
          Hem and
          Center Flag   Red             5R 4/12         S89-1

Source: letter (March 22, 1995) of the Assistant Secretary of the State of Delaware to Jos Poels, Grubbenvorst, the Netherlands.

Notes: Nothing is said about the color of the date DECEMBER 7, 1787 on the bottom of the flag. In the color copy which I received, the lettering however is white. Binding, bag and leggings of the rifleman are buff. This is also the same color of the diamond in the center of the flag on which the rifleman is placed. so you get here color-on-color (buff-on-buff). Delaware was December 7, 1787 the first state which ratified the Federal Constitution. Delaware became thus the first American state. Colonial blue and colonial buff were - according the designers of the flag - the colors of the uniform of general George Washington.

Jos Poels, 15 June 1995