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Antigua and Barbuda - Colonial Flags (1956-1967)

Last modified: 2021-08-25 by rob raeside
Keywords: antigua | antigua and barbuda |
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image by Martin Grieve, 1 Febuary 2004



See also:


The Colonial Flags

In use 1956-1958, 1961- 1967 ().
Jaume Ollé

Smith 1980 [smi80] show the red ensign as the civil ensign. The flag is adopted in 1967 but it seems that it was "in limited use" until recently (where "recently" is undefined). Smith 1975 mark it as civil and state flag and state ensign (in UK section), white 1980 he show it as civil and state flag (and clear red ensign for civil ensign). It may be that things were changed in 1981 (1st November) when independence was achieved. Until 1981 the undefaced red ensign was the civil ensign in AG.
Željko Heimer, 6 January 2001

Until 1956 the appropriate Blue Ensign for any government operated boat in Antigua was that of the Leeward Islands. When the Federation was dissolved in 1956 a flag badge for Antigua was introduced.  It was the shield that had represented Antigua in the Leeward Islands Arms granted in 1909. (This was also the source of the badges for Dominica, Montserrat and Virgin Islands). Arms were granted when Antigua became an Associated State in 1967 and this was the flag badge until independence in 1981.
Special maritime flags for Governors were introduced in 1869. It is not clear whether the 1956 badge was ever used on a UJ by the Administrator. He was replaced by a Governor and the 1967 badge was used by him.
David Prothero, 14 January 2001

As far as I know only a few colonies used defaced red ensigns, but not Antigua. The plain red ensign was in use until independence.
Ralf Stelter, 5 Febuary 2001

Antigua (pronounced "an - teeg - ah") - Information gleaned from "The Flag Bulletin XXI: 6/97" and a nice scan from David Prothero, in full colour I may add, allows us to provide the list with three images of the flags from 1957 to 1967.
Let us start with the information provided by the journal mentioned above:
"Prior to associated statehood, Antigua apparently had no coat of arms, although a seal for public business had existed since the early 19th century. The design of that seal, represented in colours on a shield. The shield had been incorporated with similar "armorialized seals on a shield of blue and white wavy stripes in a coat of arms granted to the Colony of the Leeward Islands on 10 April 1909 (*).   After the Colony of the Leeward Islands was dissolved on 1 July 1956 flag badges were developed for its former components, which became separate Colonies. The flag badge of Antigua, represented on a white disk on the fly of the British Blue Ensign for use on government vessels, was the shield which had appeared in the arms of the Leeward Islands. It represented blue water in the foreground and a light blue sky with white clouds at the top. Between, in natural pastel shades, were a beach, bushes, and hills surmounted by a gray building. The most prominent feature -- on the sinister side of the shield -- was an agave plant. This badge, replaced at the time of associated statehood, had been introduced sometime in 1957."
(*) The crest of that coat of arms was a pineapple closely resembling the one in the Antigua crest. The background of the Leeward Islands shield may have inspired the similar blue and white wavy stripes found in the flag of The West Indies, an abortive federation (1957-1962) of which Antigua was a part. That flag and the flag badge of the Leeward Islands are described in an article on the new flag of Dominica in THE FLAG BULLETIN, Volume XVII, No. 6 pp. 166-169.

The journal also includes a black and white drawing of the Blue Ensign, with the badge of the Colony depicted within a disk.
No mention was made of a Union Garland for the Governor, but I include this as I believe one probably existed.
Martin Grieve, 1 Febuary 2004

Antigua used the shield but not Arms in 1956 flag. It was changed to the arms in 1967..
David Prothero, 8 April 2005


Flags Without White Disk


by Jaume Ollé

Red Ensign


by Jaume Ollé

From 1962 reported without white disk.
Jaume Ollé'


Governor Flag


Martin Grieve, 1 Febuary 2004


The Badge


Martin Grieve, 1 Febuary 2004