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Variations of the (1975) east timorese flag

Last modified: 2014-06-14 by ian macdonald
Keywords: star: 5 points (white) | arrowhead | variation | stamp | para timor | home made |
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(The original design)

East Timor flag image by António Martins, 21 December 1999
See also:

Postage stamp vertical variation

stamp flag image by Ivan Sache, 18 December 1999

In a sheet of 8 eight (2 rows × 4 columns) post stamps labeled:

EAST TIMOR
PARA TIMOR
the second stamp in the first row, with a face value of 1000 is the East Timor flag, with some “adaptations”:
  • it is shown vertically, in a proportion 5:4 to fit the general proportion of the stamp sheet.
  • it has the white star slightly tilted to the right.
  • from the black and white illustration of the stamp offer sheet, there seems to be a white(?) fimbriation around the yellow arrow, but this might be a problem of printing.
Ivan Sache, 18 December 1999

The currency of the face value is probably the Portuguese escudo — so, 5 euros… As for the star, it is pointing to the right hand of the viewer, supposedly to the top of the flag if it were upright. This is OK according to the usual design of the flag. These stamps, by the way, might not be new but issued some years ago (by the Portuguese post?). Maybe they are unofficial “Cinderella” stamps? — "para Timor" means "for Timor", so these might be only “donation marks” or something… In that case, the yellow arrowpoint on black and red flag (instead of any supposed new flag) is only natural.
António Martins, 20 December 1999


Home made design example

home made flag image by António Martins, 22 February 2000

A home made variation of the flag, cause by insufficient textile skills and/or by lack of vexillological reference (and it is upside down!). This is one among a lot of such variations, given the difficulties of producing accurate versions of this banned flag during the 25 years of Indonesian occupation. (I have a scanned photo of this flag used on a demonstration in Díli some years ago.)
António Martins, 22 Feb 2000


Blue-instead-of-black variant

blue flag image by António Martins, 22 February 2000

The often referred variation with dark blue instead of black.
António Martins, 22 February 2000