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Dover, Delaware (U.S.)

Kent County

13:21 image(s) by permission of David B. Martucci
image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright.

Current Flag
Seal

See also:

Current Flag

Text and image(s) from American City Flags, Raven 9-10 (2002-2003), courtesy of the North American Vexillological Association, which retains copyright. Image(s) from American City Flags by permission of David B. Martucci.

Design

The flag of Dover has a white field; in its center is an elongated rhombus with a gold field and narrow dark blue border. On a field of 13 by 21 units, the rhombus is 9 by 15 units. The city’s intricate seal, 5 units in diameter, is centered in the rhombus. The outer circle of the seal is yellow. A smaller concentric yellow circle forms the inner edge of a ring with a dark green field on which is inscribed The City of Dover over the top, and Delaware below, all in yellow Old English letters. The interior of the seal has the same form as the arms of the town of Dover, Kent, U.K., a trefoil (cloverleaf shape) on an inverted equilateral triangle. The field behind the trefoil/triangle is a dark aquamarine; within the trefoil is a dark orange. The trefoil has a dark aquamarine border, edged on both sides in yellow, and studded with 13 yellow-edged red dots around it. The top lobe of the trefoil, according to the ordinance adopting the seal, represents the coat of arms of William Penn, [as adapted by] Kent County, Delaware, the county in which Dover is located. Those arms have a shield divided vertically, the dexter side dark aquamarine and the sinister side dark green.

The shield has a red horizontal bar across its center, charged with three yellow disks, and an inverted crescent above. Three yellow spear tips bristle from the shield’s top. The hoist lobe of the trefoil bears the great seal of the state of Delaware in miniature, without the words “Great Seal of the State of Delaware”, as it appears on the state flag. The remaining lobe of the trefoil, toward the fly, imitates the lobe in the same position of the Dover, U.K., arms, showing St. Martin (the patron saint of Dover, U.K.) astride a brown horse facing the hoist, in front of a dark aquamarine turreted castle. Where the triangle’s points appear at the indentations of the lobes, they have a red field edged in yellow. The hoist point displays a white dogwood flower; the fly point, a green holly leaf; and the bottom point, 1603 in yellow. Immediately below the bottom point on a white heraldic ribbon appears, in tiny red letters, CAPITAL OF THE FIRST STATE. The seal was adopted 12 January 1959.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Symbolism

The rhombus also appears on the Delaware state flag, and the gold and blue echo the buff and blue of that flag. The trefoil of the seal represents three geographical areas linked to the city: Kent County; the state of Delaware; and the town of Dover, U.K., which provided the city’s name. Delaware’s nickname is “The First State”, as the first state to ratify the U.S. constitution on December 7, 1787.
John M. Purcell, American City Flags, Raven 9-10, 2002-2003

Dover, Delaware (U.S.)

Kent County

Current Flag

Design

Symbolism

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Seal