In a small historic town on the outskirts of Boston lies the Bedford Flag, the oldest complete surviving flag in the United States.

The flag’s almost-square base is an ornate crimson silk damask with a pattern of pomegranates, grapes, and leaves. Painted over it in silver and gold, an armored hand reaches out from a cloud grasping a sword. The sword lies behind a banner reading Vince Aut Morire, Conquer or Die. Above and below the arm, three cannonballs hang in midair. When the flag was in use, it would also have been adorned with a silver fringe which was unfortunately removed.

Despite its claim to fame as the oldest complete surviving flag in the United States the exact year the flag was created, and by whom, is still a mystery. Experts place its creation sometime in the early 1700s because of the Prussian blue pigment used and the unique design on the silk damask. The flag was in the possession of the Page family for 5 generations until 1885 when it was given to the Town of Bedford.…