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Costa Rica - Historical Flags (1838-1848)

Last modified: 2021-08-25 by rob raeside
Keywords: costa rica |
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1838 Flag


by Jaume Ollé and Ivan Sache, 13 August 2013

In use 1838-1840 (unofficial).
Jaume Ollé

1840 flag

[Flag of Costa Rica]
by Jaume Ollé and Ivan Sache, 14 August 2013

This flag was adopted on April 21 1840. The flag with the shield is the state version. There is also a civil version which is identical, but without the shield.
Jaume Ollé, 26 August 1996

Adopted (flag and Coat of Arms): 21 April 1840.  Abolished both on 20 April 1842. The federal flag and arms were abolished 15 November 1840. On 22 november 1824, the flag was restablizhed until 12 November 1848 but was out of use after September 1842.
Jaume Ollé

Coat of Arms


by Jaume Ollé

1842 Flag


by Jaume Ollé and Ivan Sache, 14 August 2013

In use after September 1842. Out of use 12 November 1848.
Jaume Ollé

1845 flag (Proposal)

[Flag of Costa Rica]
by Jaume Ollé, 26 August 1997 and Ivan Sache, 14 August 2013

After the presidency of Braulio Carrillo (1838-42) the political struggle was intense. In those years the liberals proposed the addition of the red color (the color of the liberals) because the French flag (associated with liberty) has blue, white and red. Several proposals were made, and I have read some descriptions. The flag is surely only a proposal of this time, with clearly an American influence.
Jaume Ollé, 26 August 1996

1848 flag

[Flag of Costa Rica]
by Jaume Ollé and Ivan Sache, 14 August 2013

In June 1848 President Castro Madriz moved to adopt a new flag (under the influence of his wife, who was an enthusiastic partisan of the French revolution) and the new flag was proclaimed on 29 September 1848. The flag had two variants: one, supposedly the correct one, with unequal stripes (blue, white, red, white, blue 1:1:2:1:1:); the other with the same colors but with five equal stripes. The shield is in the center of the flag. The merchant ensign is without the shield.
by Jaume Ollé, 26 August 1997

Here is a drawing of this flag
Fred Drews, 21 November 1999

First Hoisted: 12 November 1848. Changed: 27 November 1906 .
Jaume Ollé

Coat of Arms


by Jaume Ollé

Adopted: 29 September 1848. Changed: 27 November 1906 .
Jaume Ollé

Flags According to Steenbergen Book (1862)


by Jaume Ollé, 14 August 2003 and Ivan Sache, 14 August 2013

No. 840 - Costa Rica Merchantmen.
Source: [stb]
Jaume Ollé, 14 August 2003


by Jaume Ollé, 22 August 2003

No. 882 -Costa Rica, State, War and Navy 1858.
Source: [stb]
Jaume Ollé, 22 August 2003