List of flags with reverses that differ from the obverse

This article contains a list of flags for which the reverse (back Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag) is different from the obverse (front Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag). It includes current as well as historic flags of both nations and national subdivisions such as provinces, states, territories, cities and other administrations (including a few that are not recognized by the United Nations or whose sovereignty is in dispute). When the flag is that of a nation, the Subdivision column is blank ( — ).

The list below does not include flags for which the reverse side is congruent (identical Reverse side is congruent with obverse side) nor is it a mirror image of the obverse side (horizontally flipped Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side). Flag sides are usually mirror copy to satisfy manufacturing constraints. Identical flags are much less common and contain an element for which a simple mirror image would be problematic, such as text (e.g. The Flag of Saudi Arabia includes the shahada, an Islamic creed; The Flag of Iraq includes the Takbir) or a geographic feature (e.g. The Flag of the United Nations included an Azimuthal equidistant projection of the earth). Flags having a truly different designs on both their sides (two-sided Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag) differ from the norm. The only UN-recognized nation whose present-day flag officially contains a unique image on each side is Paraguay.

Not all impression of two-sided flags are de facto two-sided because of practical manufacturing constraints or, judging from how often it was disregarded in practice, some formal concern of heraldic nature. As such it may very well be prescribed legally from the very beginning and ever ignored in practice by institutions of every type.

Many of those flags are reconstructions based on various degree of evidence.

Flags by nation edit

List of two-sided flags  
Nation Subdivision Dates Obverse   Reverse   Notes
  Argentina San Juan 2018–present     Flag of San Juan
1997–2018    
  Austria-Hungary Common Army 1867–1918     Austro-Hungarian Army
Imperial-Royal Landwehr


 
Royal Croatian Home Guard    
Royal Hungarian Honvéd    
  Azerbaijan Internal Troops 2002–present     Flag of Azerbaijan
  Bangladesh 1971–1972     Flag of Bangladesh
  Belarus Presidential Security Service 1995–present     List of Belarusian flags
  Brazil Paraíba 1965–present     Flag of Paraíba
Piauí 1922–present     Flag of Piauí
São Paulo 1922–present     Flag of São Paulo
  British Empire New York Union 1664–1783     George Rex Flag
   
  Bulgaria Stara Zagora 1996–present     Flag of Stara Zagora
  Comoros 1996–2001     Flag of the Comoros
  East Timor National Council of Maubere Resistance 1998–2002     Flag of East Timor
  El Salvador 1877–Nov 2 1898 and Nov 30 1898–1912     Flag of El Salvador
  Ethiopian Empire Imperial Standard 1962–1975     Haile Selassie
  Republic of Formosa 1895     Flag of the Republic of Formosa[1]
  Greece Alexandros Ypsilantis 1821     [dubious ] Flag of Greece
  Hungarian People's Republic Scout Association 1970     [dubious ] Flag of Hungary
  Hungary Csernely 1991–present     Flag of Csernely
Dömsöd ?–present     Flag of Dömsöd
Dorog 1919–present     Flag of Dorog
Kecel ?–present     Flag of Kecel
  Iceland President of Iceland 1944–present     Flag of Iceland
  Lithuania State flag 1918–1940     President used a variant with aspect ratio of 1:1.[2]
  Luxembourg Army of Luxembourg 1982–present     Flag of Luxembourg

On military flag and emblems (I). The Grand Ducal Order. 15 February 1982.

  Madagascar President of Madagascar 1959–1972     Flag of Madagascar
1972–1975    
1976–1993    
1993–1996    
1998–2002    
  Moldavian Democratic Republic — and Sfatul Țării 1999–present     Flag of Moldova
  Moldavia Infantry Battalion 1346–1859   Flag and coat of arms of Moldavia

We have very little information on ancient Moldavian and Wallachian flags. For Moldavia the most important symbol has always been the wild ox head, which is still to be found on the flag of the new Moldavian republic. In early times the red prevailed on other colours: on standards, the wild ox head appeared on the recto, while the verso represented St. George killing the dragon. It seems that this standard was adopted by Bogdan I and maintained by Stephan the Great and successors. In the following century (XIX) the blue was added. According to an 1813 document, under prince Scarlat Calimachi the princely standard was red, yellow and blue on the recto (without any symbol), while on the verso was St George riding a horse on a blue field. Another document, dated 1814, again reports a red standard. Michael II Sutu (1819-21) had a blue flag with the wild ox head on the recto and red with St George the verso. The two Moldavian flags above from the XV-XVI c. are in Bucharest museum.

Infantry Battalion 1834–1849    
  Moldova 1990–2010     Flag of Moldova
Information and Security Service 1999–present  
Gagauzia 1995–present     [dubious ] Flag of Gagauzia
  Nazi Germany 1935–1945     Flag of Nazi Germany
  North Korea General Staff Department of the Korean People's Army 1993–2023     Flag of North Korea
Korean People's Army 1948    

For Guards only up to 1961:

 

1948–1961  
1961–1992  
1992–1993  


Korean People's Army Ground Force 1993–2023    
Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force 1993–2023    
Korean People's Navy 1993–2023    
Korean People's Army Strategic Rocket Force 2018–2023    
Korean People's Army Special Operation Force 2018–2023    
Worker-Peasant Red Guards 2007–2023    
  Paraguay 1842–1954     Flag of Paraguay
1954–1988    
1988–1990    
1990    
1990–2013    
2013–present    
  Philippines 1898–1901     Flag of the Philippines
  • Obverse has "Fuerzas Expeditionarias del Norte de Luzon" inscribed
  • Reverse has the words "Libertad Justicia e Igualdad" inscribed.
  Rattanakosin Kingdom Siamese Expeditionary Forces 1917–1919     Flag of the Rattanakosin Kingdom
  Romania Romanian Air Force 1992–present     List of flags of Romania
Romanian General Staff    
Romanian Land Forces    
Romanian Naval Forces    
Battle flag 1950–1952    
1952–1965  


1966–1989    
Romanian Air Force 1950–1952    
1952–1965  


Romanian Patriotic Guards 1977–1989    
Romanian Naval Forces 1950–1951    


1952–1965  


  Russia Mari El 1992–2006     Flag of Mari El
Gorodishchensky District 2002–2012     Flag of the Gorodishchensky District
Russian Armed Forces 2003–present     List of Russian flags
Russian Ground Forces 2002–present    
Russian Aerospace Forces 2002–present    
  Saudi Arabia Civil ensign 1980–present     Flag of Saudi Arabia
  Soviet Union 1923–1991     Flag of the Soviet Union
Armenian SSR 1952–1990     Flag of Armenian SSR
Azerbaijan SSR 1952–1991     Flag of Azerbaijan SSR
Byelorussian SSR 1951–1991     Flag of Byelorussian SSR
Estonian SSR 1953–1990     Flag of Estonian SSR
Georgian SSR 1951–1990     Flag of Georgian SSR
Karelo-Finnish SSR 1953–1956     Flag of Karelo-Finnish SSR
Kazakh SSR 1953–1992     Flag of Kazakh SSR
Kirghiz SSR 1952–1992     Flag of Kirghiz SSR
Latvian SSR 1953–1990     Flag of Latvian SSR
Lithuanian SSR 1953–1988     Flag of Lithuanian SSR
Moldavian SSR 1952–1990     Flag of Moldavian SSR
Russian SFSR 1954–1991     Flag of the Russian SFSR
Tajik SSR 1953–1992     Flag of Tajik SSR
Turkmen SSR 1953–1992     Flag of Turkmen SSR
Ukrainian SSR 1949–1991     Flag of Ukrainian SSR
Uzbek SSR 1952–1991     Flag of Uzbek SSR
Soviet Army 1946–1992     List of Russian flags
  Spain Almendros 1988–present     List of Spanish flags
Arapiles 1993–present    
Burgueta 2001–present    
Puebla de Almenara 1988–present    
Villarrubio 1988–present    
  Transnistria 1991–present     Flag of Transnistria
  Vietnam People's Army of Vietnam 1991–present     Flag of Vietnam
  United States Alabama 1861–1865     Flag of Alabama
Massachusetts 1908–1971     Flag of Massachusetts
Minnesota 1893–1957     Flag of Minnesota
Oregon 1859–present     Flag of Oregon
Raleigh, North Carolina 1960–present     Flag of Raleigh, North Carolina
Richmond, Virginia 1914–1933     Flag of Richmond, Virginia
West Virginia 1905–1907     Flag of West Virginia Carmine red fringe
1907–1929     Flag of West Virginia Old gold fringe

See also edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ Liu, Nancy (January 28, 2013). "Flag of our forebears". Taipei Times. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "Central Lithuania (Vilnius Republic)". Flags of the World. Retrieved October 12, 2022.