Last modified: 2005-11-26 by juan manuel gabino villascán
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"These ensigns shall be used by merchant ships of the Republic of Mexico, independently of the national ensign, in order to show the department they belong to. Their size is proportional to the size of the vessel."
I guess these were not really ensigns --same case as with their
Spanish
predecessors-- they were not flown at the stern and they did not indicate
nationality. Or maybe they did? Does Olivier Corre mention where were they
supposed to be flown?
Santiago Dotor, Dec. 20, 2001
No, he does not. After giving the caption of the plate (see my precedent
message, he adds "from which it can be understood that the flag is flown
on one of the masts".
I often, apparently improperly, call "ensign" any kind of flag used at
sea. I guess from your question that "ensign" should be used for
national flags at sea only.
Therefore, this French flags
has a wrong title (Arrondissement ensigns...),
to be corrected very soon.
Ivan Sache, Dec, 20, 2001
In 1883 the British Consul at La Coruna referring to what I take to be the same
sort of flag wrote that,
"Spanish fly matriculation flag of vessel at mainmast to show what port she
belongs to."
David Potero, Dec, 22, 2001
Legras shows the ensigns for six departments (Vera Cruz, Campeche, Tampico, Isla del Carmen, Tabasco, and Túxpam) located on the Gulf of Mexico. They are also shown in Siebmacher.
The ensigns for the other departments were apparently never published in a flag book. The archives of the SHOM have kept a gouach plate, signed by the Mexican Minister of War and Navy, and sent to the French authorities. The plate is entitled "Banderas nacionales, de matricula e insignias de la Republica mexicana" ("National flags, registration flags and ensigns of the Mexican Republic").
In the 1889 edition of "Album des Pavillon"s, the registration ensigns are no longer shown, and it is therefore probable they were suppressed short before 1889. The design of the eagle on the Mexican plate mentioned above seems to indicate it dates from Porfirio Diaz presidency (1876-1911).
The flags are shown in:
Código Nacional
de Señales para uso de las estaciones semafóricas, buques de
guerra y mercantes nacionales
By Commander Permanent of the National Navy
Guillermo León Tagle
Approved by the Secretaría de Guerra y Marina
Talleres Gráficos de la Nación
México, 1923.
In this value book are shown the registration flags
(Banderas de matrícula) of 28 Mexican ports plus four
unidentified flown around 1923.
The flags keep the siplified design as those used between
1851-1888, but by any reason the flags changed.
According the author, the Mexican Navy Administration is
divided also into two Departamentos (Departments): Departamento del
Golfo and Departamento del Pacífico.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, January 20, 2002.
The registration ensigns are as follows:
Department |
Port Current name (former name), Municipality -if the case-, State. |
1858 - 1888 (?) | Ca. 1923 - ? |
Departamento del Golfo (Gulf Department) (From West to East) |
|||
Matamoros, Tmps. | X | X | |
Tampico, Tmps. | X | X | |
Túxpam, Ver. | X | X | |
Lobos, Túxpam, Ver | X | ||
Veracruz, Ver. | X | X | |
Alvarado, Ver. | X | X | |
Coatzacoalcos (Puerto México from 1900 to 1936), Ver. |
X |
X (as Puerto México) |
|
Frontera, Tab. | X | ||
Villa Hermosa (San Juan Bautista de Tabasco), Centro, Tab. |
X (as San Juan Baustista de Tabasco) |
||
Ciudad del Cármen (formerly Isla del Cármen), Cam. |
X |
X (as Laguna) |
|
Campeche, Cam. | X | X | |
Progreso, Yuc. | X | X | |
Cozumel, Qr. | X | ||
Departamento del Pacífico (Pacific Department) (From North to South)
|
Ensenada, Bca. | X | |
Puerto Libertad, Pitiquito, Son. | X | ||
Guaymas, Son. | X | X | |
Santa Rosalía, Mulegé, Bcs. | X | ||
Loreto, Bcs. | X | ||
Bahía Magdalena, Comondú, Bcs. | X | X | |
La Paz, Bcs. | X | X | |
San José del Cabo, Los Cabos Bcs. |
X (as San José) |
||
Altata, Navolato, Sin. | X | ||
Mazatlán, Sin. | X | X | |
San Blas, Nay. | X | X | |
Manzanillo, Col. | X | X | |
Maruata, Mic. | X | ||
Acapulco, Gro. | X | X | |
Puerto Ángel, Oax. | X | X | |
Salina Cruz, Oax. | X | X | |
Puerto Arista (formerly La Puerta), Tonalá, Chis. |
X (as Tonalá) |
X | |
Puerto Madero (Formerly San Benito Soconusco), Tapachula, Chis. |
X |
X (as Tapachula) |
Those flags are illustrated in the Código Nacional de Señales para uso de las estaciones semafóricas, buques de guerra y mercantes nacionales, as Departamento del Golfo's, but there is no names.
The flags are:
3:5 | |
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 06, 2001. |
3:5 | |
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 06, 2001. |
3:5 | |
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 06, 2001. |
3:5 | |
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 06, 2001. |