The knit flag on the stamp represents an earlier version of the flag than the anthem-inspiring banner. Consistent with specifications laid out in the flag resolution of 1777, it has 13 alternating red and white stripes—to represent the original colonies—and 13 stars, “white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.” Although the first flag resolution did not specify a particular star pattern, five staggered rows alternating three and two stars each was a popular arrangement during the nation’s infancy.
