Canada, Commonwealth. A Second Era Canadian Red Ensign

In a thin white cotton and screen-printed in red, blue, yellow and green inks, the flag being a British red ensign, with the Royal Union Flag in the canton and adorned with the shield of the coat-of-arms of Canada at the right, single reinforced stitching along the top and bottom edges, the right edge with triple reinforced stitching, measuring 710 mm in width x 460 in height, fraying evident at the upper left of the canton, vertical blue streak passing through the left side of the coat-of-arms, exhibiting fold marks, is free of holes, fine.

Footnote: The Canadian Red Ensign (French: Enseigne Rouge Canadienne) served as a nautical flag and civil ensign for Canada from 1892 to 1965, and later, as the 'de facto' flag of Canada before 1965. The flag is a British red ensign, with the Royal Union Flag in the canton, adorned with the shield of the coat of arms of Canada. The Canadian Red Ensign emerged as an informal flag to represent Canada as early as the 1870s and was used at sea and on land "on all public buildings throughout the provinces," prior to becoming the country's civil ensign in 1892. The flag was adorned with the arms of the Canadian provinces until 1921, when the arms of Canada replaced the amalgamation of provincial arms on the ensign. During the Second World War, the ensign saw use as a symbol that represented Canada's armed forces. In 1945, an order in council named the Canadian Red Ensign a "distinctive Canadian flag" to fly on government buildings. However, the ensign was never formally adopted as a national flag of Canada, with the Union Jack used in that role until the Maple Leaf flag was adopted in 1965. The Maple Leaf flag also replaced the Canadian Red Ensign as the civil ensign of the country after it was adopted.