France QUICK HELP NEEDED- French military flag?

[TS Allen]

Hello all,

I'm in the middle of trading off some of my Third Reich collection to a dealer in England. Thinking of the deal, I think I'm being a bit nice to the dealer, but my real passion is for WWI and earlier tunics and my "Nazi junk" is immenently saleable for her.

http://www.a2zmilitarycollectables.co.uk/shop/viewphoto.php?shoph=10934&phqu=2

This flag seems like a very nice display piece too me, but, is it military? To me, RF could just as well mean a civil as a military flag. The dimensions are 31 by 23 inches.

This other flag (link below, now sold) is similar, but of a larger size, this flag strikes me as "more military" and also has the "RF" finial.

http://www.a2zmilitarycollectables.co.uk/shop/viewphoto.php?shoph=10940&phqu=3

If this is correct for a military flag of the period, I'm going to offer some of my LW items up for it.

Help is needed ASAP!

Thanks,

~TS

[PKeating]

I might part with €20.00 apiece for these, were I drunk.

[TacHel]

Just my personal opinion, I'm no expert but...

The mast tip could be from any organization.

The design on the flag seems to have been painted on through a stencil... Hardly indicative of a period item.

If it were me, I'd give it a wide berth... Looks like an old ordinary flag painted to resemble a regimental standard, and a very poor job of it too.

[TS Allen]

Hey all,

The price is low enough that if they're even copies of WWI French flags I might just get them. I'm mostly wondering if the finials are a correct pattern. Are they, for military flags?

I'm also trading these flags for WWII Luftwaffe items that I've lost interest in. I'm getting rid of anything that I have that's WWII German and isn't infantry.

~TS

[TacHel]

TS...

These are DEFINITELY NOT military standards.

They're either home made (modified) ordinary flags, or they were used in front of a federal government building. The fact that the center motif AND the 4 corner motifs ALL say "RF" means federal government, NOT military.

Don't bother... If you're looking for something military, these aren't it. Sorry.

[TS Allen]

Hey,

Thanks, that's all the answer I needed!

Frankly, I was sorta hopin' they were just bad copies of military flags, the one without the cheesy paint still would have looked cool lying in a trench display.

~TS

[TacHel]

The prob here my friend is that French military flags/banners/standards were never cheaply made. If there's one thing the French will NOT cheapen it's this. Their military colours are of the highest quality and always embroidered, been like this for centuries.

I'll have a looksee on the web if some merchant in Europe might have silk screened copies if you want... I also have quite a few contacts in France that can look for some cheap imitation... But don't hold your breath.:(

[WRANGEL]

I confirm what TacHel says. I have a friend who works in a company who works for the French government doing the Regimental flags. The cost of a flag is roughly between 5.000 and 12.000 euros depending on the design and the time spent. Everything is handmade with gold used for the lettering.

You need to know also that no French Regimental flag can be sale (in France at least) they are the property of the French government, be they 200 years old or brand new.

You can sell (or possess) a company or a bataillon flag but not a regimental flag.

Bill