Panama - Historical Flags

Last modified: 2003-05-02 by dov gutterman
Keywords: panama | istmo | isthmus |
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• 1821 Flag
• 1834 Flag
• 1855 Flag
• 1861 Flags
• 1886 Flag
• 1903 First flag (Proposal)
• Flag of 3 November - 20 December 1903

See also

• Panama

1821 Flag

Panama as Province of Istmo (Isthmus) in the Republic of Colombia

by Jaume Olle'

Adopted: 6 Octuber 1821.

1834 Flag

Panama as Province of Istmo (Isthmus) in the Republic of New Granada

by Jaume Olle'

Adopted: 9 May 1834. Abolished: 1855.

1855 Flag

Panama as a State in the Granadine Confederation

by Jaume Olle'

Adopted: 1855. Abolished: 26 July 1861.

1861 Flags

Panama as a State in the United States of New Granada

by Jaume Olle'

Panama as a State in the United States of Colombia

by Jaume Olle'

Adopted: 26 November 1861. Abolished: 1886.

1886 Flag

Panama as a Province in the Republic of Colombia

by Jaume Olle'

Adopted: 1886. Abolished: 3 November 1903.

1903 First Flag (Proposal)

by Jaume Olle' , 4 September 1996

The flag was proposed by Felipe Bunau Varilla before independence.
Jaume Olle' , 4 September 1996

This is not the "First Flag" but a proposal by Philippe Bunau Varilla that was rejected by the Panama government because it was too much like the U.S. flag and never became official.
Alvaro Aguilar , 21 December 1999

From [udk97] : "The first flag, proposed in 1903, consisted of SEVEN horizontal stripes of red and yellow, with a blue canton containing two golden suns, joined by a narrow line to depict the oceans to be united by the Panama Canal" . The image above has THIRTEEN horizontal stripes !?
Ivan Sache , 26 December 1999

Flag of 3 November - 20 December 1903

3 November - 20 December 1903
by Zeljko Heimer, 6 January 1996

This flag was drawn by Manuel Amador, son of the first President of the Republic, and made for his mother Maria Ossa de Amador. Basically it is the same as the current  national flag but the colours are in a different order. The flag was used from 3 November 1903 to 20 December 1903. After this date the order was changed for unknown reasons, and the new flag (the current flag) was adopted oficially by law 64 of 4 June 1904. In 1906 a competition for a new national flag was initiated, but the flag not was changed.
Jaume Olle' , 4 September 1996

Panama had three official flags during the year 1903.  The first is the flag of the Province of Panama within the Colombian Republic - the last pre-independence flag. The second flag (above) is similar to the present flag, but not the same. This almost similar flag places the all-blue quarter in the top hoist, and the blue star in the lower hoist (and also flips the red elements in an analogous fashion). According to our research, this flag was the flag of Panama for a very short period of time: 3 November 1903 to 20 December 1903.  After 20 December, Panama had its third flag of the year - the present day flag. This flag was first used at the end of 1903, but not officially adopted until 1904.
Steve Kramer, 27 April 2003