Confederate flag sells for $40,000 at auction

the Commercial-Appeal [Memphis, TN] ^ | January 18, 2004 | Michael Lollar

[archy]

Confederate flag sells for $40,000 at auction

By Michael Lollar

January 18, 2004

A Confederate flag discovered in a trunk in a Dancyville, Tenn., farmhouse sold for $40,000 Friday at auction by Sotheby's auction company in New York.

One of the first Confederate flags carried into battle, the silk flag with 12 stars decorated with gold-colored sequin-like spangles, sold to a telephone buyer who declined to reveal his name. Sotheby's described him only as a "private American collector." With a 20 percent buyer's premium, the final price for the flag was $48,000.

Nancy Druckman, head of Sotheby's Folk Art Department, said the 7-foot-by-5-foot flag, carried into battle by the "Dancyville Grays," was valuable because of its documented history and "inherent perishability." Most flags were made of wool bunting and cotton, and Druckman said silk flags are far more fragile.

The flag was found in a trunk in the farmhouse, which had remained since the Civil War in the family of former Memphian R. William 'Bill' Skinner, former president of Turner Dairies and a former vice president of First Tennessee Bank. His wife, Lavinia, helped discover the flag while rummaging through the trunk with the home's former owner, Thelma Rawlins, who died in 1981.

The Skinners, who bought the home from Rawlins before her death, could not be reached Friday. He said before the auction that if the flag sold for the minimum $40,000 bid, he planned to "take her out to dinner at Burger King."

- Michael Lollar: [901] 529-2793

[archy]

Courtesy Sotheby's

This 7-foot-by-5-foot silk flag was one of the first Confederate flags carried into battle. It sold Friday for $40,000.

[archy]

Daughters and Sons of Dixie ping.

[Calpernia]

Confederate flag sells for $40,000 at auction

Now why can't I get an eBay auction like this???

[stainlessbanner]

Hope this finds an honorable home.

[lentulusgracchus]

Notice that whoever sewed the stars into the union left a gap for adding more stars later. An optimist!

Yeeeeehaaaaaaaa! bump.

[My Dog Likes Me]

I thought that was "Turner Diaries" and not "Turner Dairies" for a minute there.

Anyway, sure wish they would've donated the flag to the state archives and taken the hefty tax deduction.

[lentulusgracchus]

Interesting item, but the chain of ownership described in the article doesn't make sense.

According to the article, the farmhouse had been owned since the Civil War by the Skinner family. The writer then immediately contradicts himself by bringing in a different "former owner", now dead. The article also doesn't make clear who gets the hamburger -- the dead woman or Lavinia Skinner.

Oh, well.

[psychoknk]

It makes sense. The article said it was in the "family of former Memphian R. William 'Bill' Skinner," not the "Skinner family." Thelma Rawlins, "the home's former owner" could still be related to him (Skinner's mother could have been a Rawlins, or something like that).

[4CJ]

Anyway, sure wish they would've donated the flag to the state archives and taken the hefty tax deduction.

According to the local mullet wrapper, the state would not guarantee that it would be preserved in a humidity controlled, acid-free environment.

It is a beautiful flag.

[aomagrat]

How long before the naacp demands the flag be destroyed and the $40,000 be donated to them for reparations?

[Paul C. Jesup]

To give you a good idea on this topic, a Confederate copper penny in a good condition will fetch around $60,000 per penny on the collectors markets.

[CurlyBill]

Hope this finds an honorable home.

My thoughts exactly... You never know with these anonymous buyers. I would love to have found something like this in the trunk of one of my relatives. I'm hoping it will end up in a good southern museum where it can be well preserved.

[RebelBanker]

Amen to that! Original flags are an irreplacable part of our history and should be preserved for future generations.

There is a dealer named Gary Hendershott that has a lot of WBTS artifacts - his catalogs are online at: www.garyhendershott.com

Every time I see a "Sold" sign across an item, I hope that it has found a good home with someone who will take good care of it.

[mel]

Wow, he did have some really interesting items. I would have loved to have that cannon. Wouldn't that look great in your backyard?

[RebelBanker]

Actually, I keep my cannon is in my garage.

[mtbopfuyn]

How long before the naacp demands the flag be destroyed and the $40,000 be donated to them for reparations?

Exactly. Sad we have to live in such times that the likes of the NAACP bullying their way in on every event.

[azhenfud]

"He said before the auction that if the flag sold for the minimum $40,000 bid, he planned to 'take her out to dinner at Burger King.'"

What an awful grudge.

[stand watie]

ME TOO!

FAR too many origional items are in private hands, imVho.

virtually all of COL Mosby's possessions are in the collection of a woman in PA!

i wish she'd give them/loan them to the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond.

free dixie,sw

[SCDogPapa]

Bump for a Grand Ol' Flag!

[Colt .45]

I believe that if they are original confederate copper pennys they would garner much more than $60000 as there were only 4 of them ever struck. The maker of the dies for the Confederate pennys lived up north and was afraid of being arrested for treason if it was found that he possessed them.

We can only hope that the flag will be preserved for posterity.