GDG- Re: Custer flag for auction

[Biggsk at aol.com]

Hello,
 
I have been out of town since last Wednesday and got back late last night  
and leave again tomorrow for 2 days so let me slip this in while I have  time.
 
The flag coming up for auction is part of a massive sale of flags and other  
CW items at Gettysburg later this month.  The auction house is Heritage  
Auctions of Dallas, TX., the same firm that auctioned the JEB Stuart personal  flag 
this past December at the Nashville CW show.  I was at that  auction.
 
Custer had 4 personal flags made during the war.  The family retains  two of 
them and has previously sold off one some years ago.  Due to the  rarity of 
this flag and who it is connected with, the price could be close to  that of the 
Stuart flag - which was $800,000 plus a $160,000 buyer's premium  -  new 
record for a CW flag in terms of price!
 
However, the sale of the Stuart flag seemed to suck the oxygen right out of  
the hall where the auction was held and the next day when several other flags  
were sold, mostly Confederate and including 2 flags taken at Ft. Donelson 
(one a  very rare Bowling Green-made Buckner/Hardee flag), a battle-worn Bragg 
pattern  battle flag that was used in the KY Campaign and at Stones River, and 
an 1864  Army of Tennessee flag that wet through the Atlanta and Tennessee 
Campaigns of  that year, sold for below their market values (and even less than 
what the  owner, who I knew, had paid for them).
 
The Gettysburg auction has more flags being offered at one time that I have  
ever seen before in all my years as a flag historian and I fear the same thing 
 will happen there as the market is now flooded with CW flags.  The more  
available the lower the price - except for the Custer flag.  If you are  
interested in seeing the flags and other items go to _www.heritageauctions.com_ 
(http://www.heritageauctions.com)  and  click on the Civil War auction icon and use 
the search engine for "flag."
 
If you live in the area you should make plans to go to the auction as a  
spectator.  It will be a very interesting experience I assure you.
 
Greg Biggs



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