List of flags with reverses that differ from the obverse

This article contains a list of flags for which the reverse (back Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag) is different from the obverse (front Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag). It includes current as well as historic flags of both nations and national subdivisions such as provinces, states, territories, cities and other administrations (including a few that are not recognized by the United Nations or whose sovereignty is in dispute). When the flag is that of a nation, the Subdivision column is blank ( — ).

The list below does not include flags for which the reverse side is congruent (identical Reverse side is congruent with obverse side) nor is it a mirror image of the obverse side (horizontally flipped Reverse side is mirror image of obverse side). Flag sides are usually mirror copy to satisfy manufacturing constraints. Identical flags are much less common and contain an element for which a simple mirror image would be problematic, such as text (e.g. The Flag of Saudi Arabia includes the shahada, an Islamic creed; The Flag of Iraq includes the Takbir) or a geographic feature (e.g. The Flag of the United Nations included an Azimuthal equidistant projection of the earth). Flags having a truly different designs on both their sides (two-sided Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flag) differ from the norm. The only UN-recognized nation whose present-day flag officially contains a unique image on each side is Paraguay.

Not all impression of two-sided flags are de facto two-sided because of practical manufacturing constraints or, judging from how often it was disregarded in practice, some formal concern of heraldic nature. As such it may very well be prescribed legally from the very beginning and ever ignored in practice by institutions of every type.

Many of those flags are reconstructions based on various degree of evidence.

Flags by nation

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List of two-sided flags
NationSubdivisionDatesObverse Reverse Notes
 ArgentinaSan Juan2018–present Flag of San Juan
1997–2018
 Austria-HungaryCommon Army1867–1918 Austro-Hungarian Army
Imperial-Royal Landwehr


Royal Croatian Home Guard
Royal Hungarian Honvéd
 AzerbaijanInternal Troops2002–present Flag of Azerbaijan
 Bangladesh1971–1972 Flag of Bangladesh
 BelarusPresidential Security Service1995–present List of Belarusian flags
 BrazilParaíba1965–present Flag of Paraíba
Piauí1922–present Flag of Piauí
São Paulo1922–present Flag of São Paulo
 British EmpireNew York Union1664–1783 George Rex Flag
 BulgariaStara Zagora1996–present Flag of Stara Zagora
 Comoros1996–2001 Flag of the Comoros
 East TimorNational Council of Maubere Resistance1998–2002 Flag of East Timor
 El Salvador1877–Nov 2 1898 and Nov 30 1898–1912 Flag of El Salvador
 Ethiopian EmpireImperial Standard1962–1975 Haile Selassie
 Republic of Formosa1895 Flag of the Republic of Formosa[1]
 GreeceAlexandros Ypsilantis1821 [dubiousdiscuss] Flag of Greece
 Hungarian People's RepublicScout Association1970 [dubiousdiscuss] Flag of Hungary
 HungaryCsernely1991–present Flag of Csernely
Dömsöd?–present Flag of Dömsöd
Dorog1919–present Flag of Dorog
Kecel?–present Flag of Kecel
 IcelandPresident of Iceland1944–present Flag of Iceland
 IndonesiaIndonesian National Armed Forces?–present Flag of Indonesia
Indonesian Army
Indonesian Navy
Indonesian Air Force
Indonesian National Police
 LithuaniaState flag1918–1940 President used a variant with aspect ratio of 1:1.[2]
Lithuanian Armed Forces List of flags of Lithuania
 LuxembourgArmy of Luxembourg1982–present Flag of Luxembourg

On military flag and emblems (I). The Grand Ducal Order. 15 February 1982.

 MadagascarPresident of Madagascar1959–1972 Flag of Madagascar
1972–1975
1976–1993
1993–1996
1998–2002
 Moldavian Democratic Republic— and Sfatul Țării1999–present Flag of Moldova
 MoldaviaInfantry Battalion1346–1859 Flag and coat of arms of Moldavia

We have very little information on ancient Moldavian and Wallachian flags. For Moldavia the most important symbol has always been the wild ox head, which is still to be found on the flag of the new Moldavian republic. In early times the red prevailed on other colours: on standards, the wild ox head appeared on the recto, while the verso represented St. George killing the dragon. It seems that this standard was adopted by Bogdan I and maintained by Stephan the Great and successors. In the following century (XIX) the blue was added. According to an 1813 document, under prince Scarlat Calimachi the princely standard was red, yellow and blue on the recto (without any symbol), while on the verso was St George riding a horse on a blue field. Another document, dated 1814, again reports a red standard. Michael II Sutu (1819-21) had a blue flag with the wild ox head on the recto and red with St George the verso. The two Moldavian flags above from the XV-XVI c. are in Bucharest museum.

Infantry Battalion1834–1849
 Moldova1990–2010 Flag of Moldova
Information and Security Service1999–present
Gagauzia1995–present [dubiousdiscuss] Flag of Gagauzia
 Nazi Germany1935–1945 Flag of Nazi Germany
 North KoreaGeneral Staff Department of the Korean People's Army2023–present List of North Korean flags
Korean People's Army1948

For Guards only up to 1961:

1948–1961
1961–1992
1992–1993


Korean People's Army Ground Force2023–present
Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force2023–present
Korean People's Navy2023–present
Korean People's Army Strategic Rocket Force2018–2023
Korean People's Army Special Operation Force2018–2023
Worker-Peasant Red Guards2023–present
 Paraguay1842–1954 Flag of Paraguay
1954–1988
1988–1990
1990
1990–2013
2013–present
 Philippines1898–1901 Flag of the Philippines
  • Obverse has "Fuerzas Expeditionarias del Norte de Luzon" inscribed
  • Reverse has the words "Libertad Justicia e Igualdad" inscribed.
Rattanakosin KingdomSiamese Expeditionary Forces1917–1919 Flag of the Rattanakosin Kingdom
 RomaniaRomanian Air Force1992–present List of flags of Romania
Romanian General Staff
Romanian Land Forces
Romanian Naval Forces
Battle flag1950–1952
1952–1965


1966–1989
Romanian Air Force1950–1952
1952–1965


Romanian Patriotic Guards1977–1989
Romanian Naval Forces1950–1951


1952–1965


 RussiaMari El1992–2006 Flag of Mari El
Gorodishchensky District2002–2012 Flag of the Gorodishchensky District
Russian Armed Forces2003–present List of Russian flags
Russian Ground Forces2002–present
Russian Aerospace Forces2002–present
 Saudi ArabiaCivil ensign1980–present Flag of Saudi Arabia
 Soviet Union1923–1991 Flag of the Soviet Union
Armenian SSR1952–1990 Flag of Armenian SSR
Azerbaijan SSR1952–1991 Flag of Azerbaijan SSR
Byelorussian SSR1951–1991 Flag of Byelorussian SSR
Estonian SSR1953–1990 Flag of Estonian SSR
Georgian SSR1951–1990 Flag of Georgian SSR
Karelo-Finnish SSR1953–1956 Flag of Karelo-Finnish SSR
Kazakh SSR1953–1992 Flag of Kazakh SSR
Kirghiz SSR1952–1992 Flag of Kirghiz SSR
Latvian SSR1953–1990 Flag of Latvian SSR
Lithuanian SSR1953–1988 Flag of Lithuanian SSR
Moldavian SSR1952–1990 Flag of Moldavian SSR
Russian SFSR1954–1991 Flag of the Russian SFSR
Tajik SSR1953–1992 Flag of Tajik SSR
Turkmen SSR1953–1992 Flag of Turkmen SSR
Ukrainian SSR1949–1991 Flag of Ukrainian SSR
Uzbek SSR1952–1991 Flag of Uzbek SSR
Soviet Army1946–1992 List of Russian flags
 SpainAlmendros1988–present List of Spanish flags
Arapiles1993–present
Burgueta2001–present
Puebla de Almenara1988–present
Villarrubio1988–present
 Transnistria1991–present Flag of Transnistria
 VietnamPeople's Army of Vietnam1991–present Flag of Vietnam
Vietnam People's Public Security1991–present
 United StatesAlabama1861–1865 Flag of Alabama
Massachusetts1908–1971 Flag of Massachusetts
Minnesota1893–1957 Flag of Minnesota
Oregon1859–present Flag of Oregon
Raleigh, North Carolina1960–present Flag of Raleigh, North Carolina
Richmond, Virginia1914–1933 Flag of Richmond, Virginia
West Virginia1905–1907 Flag of West Virginia, Carmine red fringe
1907–1929 Flag of West Virginia, Old gold fringe

See also

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Citations

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  1. ^ Liu, Nancy (January 28, 2013). "Flag of our forebears". Taipei Times. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  2. ^ "Central Lithuania (Vilnius Republic)". Flags of the World. Retrieved October 12, 2022.