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image by Tomislav Todorovic, 31 December 2023
based on image located by Greg Thompson, 19 December 2023
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In 1858, a star was added, representing Minnesota, bringing the total number of stars on the U.S. flag to 32. There were thirteen stripes representing the thirteen original colonies.
A new state flag was approved today for the State of Minnesota. Two other candidates were eliminated earlier today and no additional legislative approval is required. It will become the official flag in May 2024.
Greg Thompson, 19 December 2023
The final design of new flag has been revealed:
https://www.fox9.com/news/this-is-minnesotas-new-flag-and-seal
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/minnesotas-new-state-flag-design-is-finalized
https://www.startribune.com/tuesday-we-get-a-flag-minnesota-commission-to-finalize-new-state-flag-design-north-star/600329292
Tomislav Todorovic, 19 December 2023
The final report of the Minnesota State Emblems Redesign Commission is
available online:
https://21588026.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/21588026/State%20Emblems%20Redesign%20Commission/2023_SERC_Final_Report.pdf
The seal description and specification are available at pp. 11-16, while
those of the flag are available at pp. 17-21.
The design is derived from
the proposal F1953 by Andrew Prekker of Luverne, Minnesota, which also displayed
the North Star upon a dark blue field shaped like the simplified outline of the
state, but his star was shaped differently (four larger and four smaller rays),
while the fly field consisted of three stripes, white over green over light
blue. According to Prekker, white represents snow/winter, green represents
nature and the importance of agriculture and light blue represents the
significance of water, as was retained in the final design.
Source:
Minnesota Public Radio News website:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/11/28/minnesota-state-flag-redesign-finalists-luverne-designer
Tomislav Todorovic, 31 December 2023
image by Mario Fabretto and António Martins-Tuválkin, 13 March 2007
Minnesota Statutes
1.141 Official state flag.
Subdivision 3. Description. The design of the flag shall conform substantially to the following description:
The staff is surmounted by a bronze eagle with outspread wings; the flag is rectangular in shape and is on a medium blue background with a narrow gold border and a golden fringe. A circular emblem is contained in the center of the blue field. The circular emblem is on a general white background with a yellow border. The word MINNESOTA is inscribed in red lettering on the lower part of the white field. The white emblem background surrounding a center design contains 19 five pointed stars arranged symmetrically in four groups of four stars each and one group of three stars. The latter group is in the upper part of the center circular white emblem. The group of stars at the top in the white emblem consists of three stars of which the uppermost star is the largest and represents the north star. A center design is contained on the white emblem and is made up of the scenes from the great seal of the state of Minnesota, surrounded by a border of intertwining Cypripedium reginae, the state flower, on a blue field of the same color as the general flag background. The flower border design contains the figures 1819, 1858, 1893. The coloring is the same on both sides of the flag, but the lettering and the figures appear reversed on one side.Joe McMillan, 14 February 2000
The flag of Minnesota has the state seal in its center. Around the seal is a wreath of the state flower , the lady slipper. Three dates are woven into the wreath.
1858 - the year Minnesota became a state,
1819 - the year Fort Snelling was established and
1893 - the year the official flag was adopted.
The largest star between the 19 stars on the wreath represents Minnesota.
Dov Gutterman, 7 October 1998
Changes made in 1983:
The most common color seen in Minnesota is lighter than shown here, usually a royal blue - PMS 286, though it may not be official. Minnesota is a Dakota word meaning approximately sky tinged or tinted waters. That is, waters the color of the sky. Minne = water, sota=sky color. The Dakota largely inhabited the Minnesota country until the 1700-1800's when the Objiwe moved west because of American settlers and they took over about the top half of what is
today Minnesota (they had guns).
The official color is the color of the flag produced for the legislative committee when the flag was adopted (both 1957 & 1983) and by law held by the Minnesota Secretary of State. I have approached the Secretary of State of Minnesota, Joan Growe, and later Mary Kiffmayer
(now Mark Ritchie since the 2006 election), and they had no idea what I was
referring to, and no idea where the flag is. I believe that means there is no official color, nor is there an official version of the flag. The State Seal is, however, official and released by the Sec. of State. I expect to approach the new Sec of State sometime this spring to see if he can find the flag. Minnesota Secretary of State website: www.sos.state.mn.us/student/symbols.html
Lee Herold, 21 March 2007
The Minnesota flag is heavy in detail. The version shown is the 1957-1983 flag with the Indian being driven into the sunset. Since 1983 we are "more enlightened". A couple of other details added in 1983 (going back to the
original seal from 1858) was an axe in the stump and removing the farmers boots (I don't know any farmer who ever plowed a field barefoot, but I wasn't around in 1858). Not to be nit-picky but the inner yellow circle is actually not a solid line but a series of yellow dots, each fimbriated in red. The outer yellow ring is a solid line.
As to your real question, the color is royal blue, and though it varies by manufacturer and even varies from the same manufacturer the blue I believe is closest to correct is not far from the "FOTW flag", never as light as UN blue, never very dark. The Minnesota Secretary of State is by law to have the original flag as adopted by the legislature but on my trip there, they do not have it. The flag in the Governor's office is royal blue, which I believe could be the official flag, missing from the Sec of State.
Lastly, the seal changed unofficially sometime in the 1950's, where the Indian disappeared to be replaced by a white man with a rifle. A have a copy of this seal yet which was used by several State Departments, including the Dept of Revenue, who put it on every tax return form into the 1980's. This variant was never used on the flag.
Lee Herold, 4 February 2009
A good large format rendition of the flag can be found at Wikipedia.
Lee Herold, 22 April 2009
The 1957 flag was designed specifically to lower the cost of the two-sided flag. The committee to come up with a new design proposal was limited to retaining the basic design of the current flag (i.e. the State Seal). The State law requires the Minnesota Secretary of State to keep the committee's sample and give out information about the flag when requested. Of course, the Secretary of State does not have the flag, and has no information about it. The shade of blue and other particulars are therefore to be according to the missing sample. The State of Minnesota always orders flags in royal blue.
The 1983 version has a new State Seal.
Lee Herold, 13 September 2005
The seal on Minnesota's flag has 19 stars (forming a large star) around it because it was the 19th state added after independence.
Nathan Bliss, 28 March 1996
In Minnesota before 1957 the proper finial for the Minnesota flag was a
gopher, a small rodent and the mascot of the University of Minnesota.
These are rare indeed today (the finials not the gophers).
Lee Herold,
1 February 2006
In response to a query about vertical hanging of US state flags, the most common practice in Minnesota is to, so to speak, follow the rules and have the US flag to the observers left, the Minnesota flag reverse or backwards, or as one Minnesota paper editorialized "atosenniM". But it is not uncommon to see the US flag vertical, stars to the left, Minnesota obverse, letters correct, along side. I think this is a good solution, leave it up to individual, but probably not formal enough for government work.
The Minnesota Adjutant General's office, head of the Minnesota National Guard, states the state flag should be presented in the same manner as the US flag, i.e., backwards. They are probably as close to proper etiquette authority as there is in Minnesota and the Governor's office would surely endorse whatever they determine.
As an aside, the Adjutant General presented to the Legislature a suggestion for a ceremonial fold of the state flag in a triangle shape, as is done with the US flag. This was adopted into law in 2010 (Feb I believe). Here's the law:
Minnesota Statutes Section 1.141:
Subd. 6.Folding of the state flag for presentation or display.
The following procedures constitute the proper way to fold the Minnesota State Flag for presentation or display. Fold the flag four times lengthwise so that one section displays the three stars of the state crest and the text "L'Etoile du Nord." Fold each side behind the displayed section at a 90-degree angle so that the display section forms a triangle. Take the section ending with the hoist and fold it at a 90-degree angle across the bottom of the display section and then fold the hoist back over so it is aligned with the middle of the display section. Fold the other protruding section directly upwards so that its edge is flush with the display section and then fold it upwards along a 45-degree angle so that a mirror of the display section triangle is formed. Fold the mirror section in half from the point upwards, then fold the remaining portion upwards, tucking it between the display section and the remainder of the flag.
Subd. 7. Folding of the state flag for storage.
When folding the Minnesota State Flag for storage, the proper procedure is to fold and store the flag in the same manner as the national colors.
www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=1.141
Lee Herold, 18 August 2011
Before 1957 the Minnesota flag was a white field with the state arms, ribbon, and stars across the field. The reverse was supposed to be plain blue. Like Massachusetts, this was very expensive to produce. In 1957 the flag was made blue (both sides) with a white disk in the center with the state arms. The 1957 design was slightly altered in the late 1980's to make the flag conform to the state seal.
Nick Artimovich, 31 July 1996
The designer of the first Minnesota flag was Mrs. Amelia Center, in 1893. It was unique in the fact that the obverse was a white field, and the reverse a blue field. In 1957 it was simplified to a blue field on both sides (& other simplifications) and in 1983 changed again. However, all based on the original design by Mrs. Center.
Lee Herold, 14 May 1997
The State legislature of 1893, by Chapter 16, provided for a state flag. Mrs. Franklyn L. Greenleaf, Mrs. A. A. White, Mrs. Edward Durant, Mrs. F.B. Clarke, Mrs. H. F. Brown and Mrs. A. T. Stebbins were by this act named a commission to
select an appropriate design. This commission called for designs, and on Feb. 28, 1893 met and adopted the design presented by Mrs. Edward H. Center, of Minneapolis. Following is a description of the flag: "The ground is of white silk, and the reverse of blue silk, bordered with bullion fringe. In the center is the state seal, wreathed with white moccasin flowers, on a blue ground. The red ribbon of the seal bearing a motto is continued through the wreath, entwining the blossoms and floating carelessly over the lower portion of the flag. It bears, in gold, the dates 1819, the time of the settlement of Minnesota, and 1893. Above, also in gold, is the date 1858, the time of the admission of Minnesota to the Union. Below the design, in gold letters, is wrought 'Minnesota.' Grouped around the seal are nineteen stars in the design of star points, with the North Star, significant of the North Star State, in a group of three at the top." The choice of the number nineteen is a peculiarly happy one, as Minnesota was the nineteenth state, after the original thirteen, to be admitted to the Union. The standard (see note) to the flag was surmounted by a golden gopher, and tied with a gold cord and tassel. The execution of the design is entirely in needle work.
Ben Cahoon, 27 June 2003
Note: "Standard" in this context meaning the staff, which makes the golden gopher the finial--undoubtedly one of the few flags ever to have a rodent designated as a finial. (One of Minnesota's nicknames is the
"Gopher State," and the sports teams of the University of Minnesota are known as the "Golden Gophers.")
Joe McMillan, 27 June 2003
image from Wikipedia
On 2023-12-05, the State Emblems Redesign Commission unanimously voted to
select the design S224 as the basis for the new state seal. The designer, Ross
Bruggink, has actually submitted four variants of a basic design, as well as a
completely different design proposal for the flag. The commission will meet
again on 2023-12-12 to discuss possible modifications of the seal design, as
well as to work further on adoption of the new state flag. Both final proposals
are to be submitted to the state legislature by 2024-01-01.
Sources:
[1] Fox 9 (KMSP-TV) television station website:
https://www.fox9.com/news/the-loon-will-be-on-minnesotas-new-state-seal
[2] CBS News website:
https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/designer-of-new-minnesota-state-seal-honored-the-commission-chose-his-work
Tomislav Todorovic, 11 December 2023
On 2023-12-12, the State Emblems Redesign Commission reached the agreement on
the final design for the seal proposal, slightly modifying the submitted design,
as well as narrowed the selection of flag proposals further, only three designs
remaining.
Source: Minnesota Public Radio News website:
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2023/12/12/commission-aims-to-pledge-allegiance-to-new-state-flag-as-soon-as-this-week
Tomislav Todorovic, 13 December 2023
image from Wikipedia
Minnesota Statutes
1.135 State seal.
Subdivision 3. Design. The design of the seal is as described in this subdivision.
image located by BlinxCat, 25 November 2021
This Bizarre state flag is shown on This link:
https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessiondaily/SDView.aspx?StoryID=8010 and
appears as a purple "SOB" with the official state seal on it, however this is
absolutely not the state flag at all. It's clearly a poorly made one remade from
probably a description of the flag, purple is a common color in Minnesotan
culture so it's likely this design was using some very dubious source. The URL
only mentions it as the "Minnesota state flag" and not a proposal, as no hints
to this flag are found on the proposals list, my best guess in the end is a poor
reconstruction, it uses the actual state seal rather than the one used on the
flags made in reality, however
a hyperlink on the page brings you to this
link:
https://www.leg.mn.gov/webcontent/leg/symbols/MNflag.jpg and shows a more
normal looking flag but with a much smaller emblem.
BlinxCat, 25
November 2021
image located by BlinxCat, 21 October 2023
I present an odd variant of the Minnesotan state flag, which has what I assume
is an erroneous variant of the state seal. The actual flag and seal depict the
Mississippi River and St. Anthony Falls on the right of the seal.
However, this variant I own eliminates not only some of the state's minor
details but completely removes the river and falls from the design and instead
places a white fort(?)-like structure in it's place. I am not aware of any other
similar variants. I purchased this flag from an online flag store earlier this
month and did not notice the mishap until I looked closer.
BlinxCat, 21
October 2023
image by Joe McMillan, 21 April 2000
The state military crest, which is the crest used in the coats of arms of units of the National Guard, as granted by the precursor organizations of what is now the Army Institute of Heraldry. The official Institute of Heraldry blazon is
"A sheaf of wheat proper."
Joe McMillan, 21 April 2000