Jolly Roger Flag – Pirate Flag – 3×5 E-Poly

This flag is  tough, durable and long-lasting Endure Polyester fabric, better than our “standard” material with solid brass grommets.

It has excellent strength retention under UV exposure, and high resistance to UV fading. These are deeper, brighter colors that last over time, due to the aniline dyeing process, with better wash-fastness and light-fastness than nylons of similar fabric construction. Suitable for light outdoor use or on your boat in port or under way in a no wake zone. Available from our US supplier of commercial flags.

This flag has a one inch double edge fold, with four rows of stitching on the fly edge where the flag needs the greatest strength.

In addition, there is 1 1/2 inch reinforced stitching vertically at the fly corners, and 3 1/2 inch reinforced hem stitching (horizontal) at top and bottom of the fly.

Our earliest record of the use of a skull and crossbones flag by pirates dates back to 1687, in a log book now in the National Library of France. The entry from December 6th, 1687: “And we put down our white flag, and raised a red flag with a Skull head on it and two crossed bones (all in white and in the middle of the flag), and then we marched on.” (Many pirates raided towns and ports, and even marched for long distances to reach a great prize).

The first report of the Jolly Roger on a ship is from 1700 and the French pirate Emanuel Wynn. This is verified from reports of John Cranby, captain of the British ship HMS Poole, now archived at the London Public Record Office.