Maryland State Flag

Adopted in 1904.

The state flag of Maryland was adopted in 1904 (Chapter 48, Acts of 1904).

Maryland's flag bears the arms of the Calvert and Crossland families. Calvert was the family name of the Lords Baltimore who founded Maryland, and their colors of gold and black appear in the first and fourth quarters of the flag. Crossland was the family of the mother of George Calvert, first Lord Baltimore. The red and white Crossland colors, with a cross bottony, appear in the second and third quarters. This flag first was flown October 11, 1880, in Baltimore at a parade marking the 150th anniversary of the founding of Baltimore. It also was flown October 25, 1888, at Gettysburg Battlefield for ceremonies dedicating monuments to Maryland regiments of the Army of the Potomac. Officially, it was adopted as the State flag in 1904 (Chapter 48, Acts of 1904).

Official description from MARYLAND CODE, "State Government"
Section 13-202.
    (a) The State flag is quartered.
    (b) The 1st and 4th quarters are paly of 6 pieces, or and sable, a bend dexter counterchanged.
Thus, the 1st and 4th quarters consist of 6 vertical bars alternately gold and black with a diagonal band on which the colors are reversed.
    (c) The 2nd and 3rd, quarterly, are argent and gules, a cross bottony countersigned.
Thus, the 2nd and 3rd quarters are a quartered field of red and white, charged with a Greek cross, its arms terminating in trefoils, with the coloring transported, red being on the white ground and white on the red, and all being as represented upon the escutcheon of the State seal.

[The Maryland Secretary of State publishes a "Protocol for the Maryland State Flag" which, among other things, specifies the colors of the flag:]
1.04. The red and yellow colors in the Maryland flag should conform to the following Pantone Marking System colors:
            red on coated stock-PMS 201
            red on uncoated stock-PMS 193
            yellow on coated stock-PMS 124
            yellow on uncoated stock-PMS 124