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Venezuela - Historical Flags (1817-1830)

Last modified: 2021-08-26 by klaus-michael schneider
Keywords: venezuela | miranda |
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1817

Adopted: 12 May 1817. Abolished: 20 November 1817


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001

Adopted: 20 November 1817. Abolished: 17 December 1819


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001

In 1817, the "coat of arms" is removed and seven blue stars (representing Venezuela’s 7 provinces) are added to the yellow band.
Jorge V. Alonso-Iglesias

The flag hoisted from 1817 to 1830, was Bolivar's design (decreed by the Federal Government of Angostura [currently Ciudad Bolivar], November 20th, 1817), a variation of  the one designed by the Federal Government of Pampatar on the 12th of May of the same year. This Federal Governemnt of Pampatar included, for the first time, the seven stars (representing the spanish colonial provinces which declared its independance in 1810: Caracas, Cuamana, Barinas, Barcelona, Margarita, Merida y Trujillo; Coro, Guayana and Maracaibo remained loyal to the Regent Junta of Cadiz), which were then blue, on the yellow stripe. PampatarÂ's government was the result of the Cariaco Congresillo, whcih was not representative of the whole of the revolutionary effort. In any case, Simon Bolivar, capturing Angostura and thus freeing Guayana, issued a modified flag, with eight blue stars on the yellow stripe.
The blue stars were discarded in 1821, when we joined the Great Colombia, until they were rescued in 1859 by the Federalist fighters (with seven and later 20 stars). Bolivar's eigth star never appeared back.
Guillermo Aveledo , 8 september 1999

ISTR that at this time, the stars where blue and placed on the yellow field... if this is correct, then we are talking about two different designs
Jorge Candeias , 24 September 1999

Naval Ensign - May of 1817 - The Provisional Congress establishes on Pampatar (locality of the Margarita Island in the East of Venezuela) decreed that for use of the Navy will add seven blue stars to the yellow stripe of the Flag of the Liberator Army for remember the Provinces that founded Venezuela on 1811.
Flag decreed by Bolivar - October of 1817 - Angostura, city to the Southeastern of Venezuela, was captured by the Patriotic Forces and for register it annexation to the Cause of Independence El Libertador decrees that the Naval Ensign recently established in Pampatar will shows in successive eight blue stars.
Raul Orta, 4 April 2002


Great Colombia Federal Republic, 1819-1821

See: Great Colombia Federate Republic


image by Jaume Ollé

Great Colombia Federal Republic, 1819-1821: it refers by Mr. Daniel Chalbaud Lange in his "Historical Evolution of the National Flag of Venezuela", General (VAF) Gustavo Machado Guzman in his "Graphical History of the Independence of Venezuela" and by Mr. Jaume Olle in this site site . It combines the flag of Venezuela and the Coat of Arms of New Granada, as it disposed the Congress of 1819 but the location of the Coat of Arms and its enamels seem to be a particular representation in comparison with traditionally reviews of the Venezuelan Historical Vexillology.
Raul Orta, 6 June 2002


1821

See: Great Colombia Federate Republic


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001


image by Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001

The official Coat of Arms of the Republic of Great Colombia first apparition is dated 6 Octuber 1821 in Cundinamarca and was in use until 9 May 1834 (same time several variants of the arms exist). These arms were added to the national flag , but in Venezuela seems that the information of the exact design of new arms were sended a bit later and while were used  three stars. Three stars in venezuela (unofficial) were reported in several patterns. I have the doubt if the three stars symbolized the three members of Great Colombia (Cundinamarca, Venezuela and Ecuador) or the three departmente that was divised Venezuela on 2 Octuber 1821 (Zulia, Orinoco and Venezuela) Main source from this infos is Prof. Restrepo Uribe
Jaume Ollé ,
30 September 1999

Lucien Philippe mentions flags with stars for Great Colombia Federate Republic. Restrepo don't believe that those are Colombian New-Granadian but Colombian Venezuelan. The sure fact is that in on 12 May 1817 the governmente called "Federal Pampatar government" was established in Venezuela that adopted the Miranda's flag with seven light blue stars. In 20 November 1817 a eighth star was added meaning Guayana. Philippe reports this flags as used in Colombia c. 1820, but this is probably a missinterpretation. Philippe even reports a flag with 9 stars it but must be a wrong hand made flag or a mistake. With three stars the models are well known. There are many variants and those were used probably between 1819 and 1921, only on flags with stripes 2:1:1.
Jaume Ollé, 4 October 2001

At J.W Norie - J.S. Hobbs: Flaggen aller seefahrenden Nationen, 1971[ nor71] (original print 1848):
276 Colombia - Yellow over blue over white 2:1:1, with in the yellow in the hoist three five-pointed blue stars pointing down, placed 2 before 1. If the last stripe is supposed to be red, this looks like a Great Columbian flag, with the stars directly on the flag, instead of in arms on the flag.
Peter Hans van den Muijzenberg, 12 November 2001

Provisional Flag of the Gran Colombia - 1821 - Decreed by the General Congress of Cucuta, combine the Venezuelan Flag and the CoA of the Republic of Nueva Granada (current Republic of Colombia)
Flag of the Great Colombia - 1822 / 1830 - Established just a short time after the previous one, replace the Coat of Arms of Nueva Granada by the one of the Gran Colombia. See: Great Colombia Federate Republic
Raul Orta, 4 April 2002

Great Colombia Federal Republic, 1822(?): is refers by Mr. Jaume Olle. Instead of the Coat of Arms, it bears three blue stars on the yellow stripe, whose probable antecedent is the Flag decreed in Pampatar for use of Navy on 1817. Some illustrations of the time exist with the representation of this design. The flag with white stars could be assumed like artistic interpretation or color decline of which precedes it.There is a variation of the previous one in which the stars are arranged triangular instead of horizontally and consequently, can consider it an artistic interpretation.
Raul Orta, 7 June 2002

William Crampton is mentioning on page 45 of "Die Welt der Flaggen und die Wappen aller Länder", Augsburg 1991 (original title: "World of  Flags", London): "The flag of Colombia is based on the flag of Francisco Miranda, who tried to liberate New Granada in 1806. This horizontal tricolor-flag in the colors yellow-blue-red was hoisted in Bogoto in 1813 and was adopted by Great Colombia in 1819. The yellow stripe became double breadth, to create a big canton, that should show an allegorical image to present the self-consciousness of the young republic. During 1822 and 1830 the canton contained three blue stars, symbolizing the three states of the federation (nowadays Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador)."
The flag described above, was however not depicted in that book.
J.W. Norie and J.S. Hobbs published in 1848 in London the booklet : "306 Illustrations of the maritime flags of all nations". This booklet was revised and reprinted by Rudolf Hoffmann in 1987 in Hamburg as "Flaggen aller seefahrenden Nationen". It was completed by translations and some explanations in German. The publisher claimed however, that he did not change any flag according to the original booklet. Hoffmann also mentioned some mistakes in the original booklet. On page nr. XXII nr.276 Norie and Hobbs showed the image of a flag of Colombia. It was a horizontal tricolor, the upper half was yellow, the lower half was  a celestial blue over white. In the upper hoist there were three 5-pointed blue stars in a triangular configuration. It may be the picture of the flag of Great Colombia, used between 1822 and 1830.
There remain however two contradictions. There was no white stripe in the flag of Miranda. There must have been a red one instead, but Hoffmann did not mention it. The booklet of Norie and Hobbs was published in 1848. The flag, containing three stars was, according to Crampton, no longer used in 1848.
Volker PREUß depicted on his web site <www.flaggenlexikon.de> another version of that Miranda flag. The stars in the upper hoist are in a horizontal configuration. The colour of the blue strip according to navy blue in that version. Unfortunately there is no source given by Mr. PREUß.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 15 April 2005

Great Colombia Flag (Proposal)


image by Raul Orta, 15 May 2002

Great Colombia Flag, (1821): This project was product of the Neogrenadinian (Colombian) patriot Francisco Antonio Zea and consists of a proposal of Shield of Arms surrounded by a garland of natural laurels on a yellow field. The illustration is a representation of the original one that still is conserved in the Bolivarian Museum of Caracas.
Raul Orta, 15 May 2002


1824


image by Guillermo Aveledo and Raul Orta, 15 May 2002

Standard of the Battalion "Vencedor en Ayacucho", (1824): This standard, granted to a elite corps of patriotic soldiers which participated in the Battle of Ayacucho (December 9th, 1824) consists of a quadrilateral and horizontal tricolor yellow, blue and red that bears the Coat of Arms of Great Colombia Federal Republic on the center of the blue stripe, complementing with the inscriptions 'VENCEDOR IN AYACVCHO" (Victorious in Ayacucho) above and below "LIBERTADOR DEL PERV" (Liberator of Peru) disposed on circumference arcs embroidered on golden capital roman letters. The illustration corresponds to a representation of the original one made by the Venezuelan Vexillologist Guillermo Aveledo and that at the moment is exhibited in the Bolivarian Museum of Caracas.
Raul Orta, 15 May 2002


1826


image by Raul Orta, 15 May 2002

Standard of Francisco Pizarro, (1826): This unique piece whose origin dates presumably from 1533 belonged to the Conqueror Francisco Pizarro and remained in the Church of Cuzco until Antonio Jose de Sucre received it and as well he gave it to Simon Bolivar who donated it finally to the Municipality of Caracas in 1826. At the moment, the original standard and a reproduction are exhibited on Caracas Museum of the Libertador Municipality Mayor Office. The graphic is a reconstruction of the obverse: a red field in whose center appears a medallion rich ornamented with yellow and green arabesques with the image of Saint James (Called Santiago in Spanish), Saint Sponsor of Spain. The reverse is similar to the obverse but it bear the Coat of Arms of Castile and Leon instead of the Saint James. The Standard also has smugglers above for the fixation to means of subjection and a golden fringe below.
Raul Orta, 15 May 2002