Flags whose reverse differs from the obverse

This article possibly contains original research. Please by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (August 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

This article contains a list of flags for which the reverse (back ) is different from the obverse (front ). 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 do not includes flags for which the reverse side is congruent (identical ) nor is it a mirror image of the obverse side (horizontally flipped ). 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) 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 ) 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 flag are reconstructions based on various degree of evidence.

Flags by nation[]

List of two-sided flags

Nation	Subdivision	Dates	Obverse	Reverse	Notes
Argentina	San Juan	1997–2018			Flag of San Juan
Austria-Hungary	Common Army	1867–1918			Austro-Hungarian Army
	Imperial-Royal Landwehr
	Royal Croatian Home Guard
	Royal Hungarian Honvéd
Bangladesh	—	1971–1972			Flag of Bangladesh
Belarus	Presidential Security Service	1995–present			List of Belarusian flags
Brazil	Paraíba	1965–present			Flag of Paraíba
	Piauí	1922–present			Flag of Piauí
	São Paulo	1922–present			Flag of São Paulo
British Empire	New York Union	1664–1783			George Rex Flag
Bulgaria	Stara Zagora	1996–present			Flag of Stara Zagora
Comoros	—	1996–2001			Flag of Comoros
East Timor	National Council of Maubere Resistance	1998–2002			Flag of East Timor
El Salvador	—	1877–Nov 2 1898 and Nov 30 1898–1912			Flag of El Salvador
Ethiopian Empire	Imperial Standard	1962–1975			Haile Selassie
Republic of Formosa	—	1895			[dubious – discuss] Flag of the Republic of Formosa
German Empire	—	1871–1918			[dubious – discuss] Flag of Germany
Germany	Communist Party of Germany	1918–1933			Flag of the Communist Party of Germany
Greece	Alexandros Ypsilantis	1821			[dubious – discuss] Flag of Greece
Hungarian People's Republic	Scout Association	1970			[dubious – discuss] Flag of Hungary
Hungary	Csernely	1991–present			Flag of Csernely
	Dorog	1919–present			Flag of Dorog
Iceland	President of Iceland	1944–present			Flag of Iceland
Libya	—	1951–1969 and 2011–present			[dubious – discuss]Flag of Libya
Lithuania	— and President of Lithuania	1918–1922			Flag of Lithuania
Luxembourg	Army of Luxembourg	1982–present			Flag of Luxembourg "On military flag and emblems". Article I, Act of 15 February 1982. The Grand Ducal Order.
Madagascar	President of Madagascar	1959–1972			Flag of Madagascar
		1972–1975
		1976–1993
		1993–1996
		1998–2002
Moldavian Democratic Republic	— and Sfatul Țării	1999–present			Flag of Moldova
Moldavia	Infantry Battalion	1346–1859			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 Battalion	1834–1849
Moldova	—	1990–2010			Flag of Moldova
	Information and Security Service	1999–present
	Gagauzia	1995–present			[dubious – discuss] Flag of Gagauzia
Nazi Germany	—	1935–1945			Flag of Germany
North Korea	Korean People's Army	1948			For Guards only
		1948–1961
		1961–1992			Flag of North Korea
		1992–1993
	Korean People's Army Ground Force	1993–present
	Korean People's Army Air and Anti-Air Force	1993–present
	Korean People's Navy	1993–present
	Korean People's Army Strategic Rocket Force	2018–present
	Korean People's Army Special Operation Force	2018–present
	Worker-Peasant Red Guards	2007–present
Paraguay	—	1842–1954			Flag of Paraguay
		1954–1988
		1988–1990
		1990
		1990–2013
		2013–present
Philippines	—	1898–1901			Flag of the Philippines Obverse has "Fuerzas Expeditionarias del Norte de Luzon" inscribed Reverse has the words "Libertad Justicia e Igualdad" inscribed.
Rattanakosin Kingdom	Siamese Expeditionary Forces	1917–1919			Flag of the Rattanakosin Kingdom
Romania	Romanian Air Force	1992–present			List of flags of Romania
	Romanian General Staff
	Romanian Land Forces
	Romanian Naval Forces
	Battle flag	1950–1952
		1952–1965
		1966–1989
	Romanian Air Force	1950–1952
		1952–1965
	Romanian Patriotic Guards	1977–1989
	Romanian Naval Forces	1950–1951
		1952–1965
Russia	Mari El	2006–2011			Flag of Mari El
	Gorodishchensky District	2002–2012			Flag of the Gorodishchensky District
	Russian Armed Forces	2003–present			List of Russian flags
	Russian Ground Forces	2002–present
	Russian Aerospace Forces	2002–present
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic	—	1976–present			Flag of Western Sahara
Saudi Arabia	Civil ensign	1980–present			Flag of Saudi Arabia
Soviet Union	—	1923–1991			Flag of the Soviet Union
	Armenian SSR	1952–1990			Flag of Armenian SSR
	Azerbaijan SSR	1952–1991			Flag of Azerbaijan SSR
	Byelorussian SSR	1951–1991			Flag of Byelorussian SSR
	Estonian SSR	1953–1990			Flag of Estonian SSR
	Georgian SSR	1951–1990			Flag of Georgian SSR
	Karelo-Finnish SSR	1953–1956			Flag of Karelo-Finnish SSR
	Kazakh SSR	1953–1992			Flag of Kazakh SSR
	Kirghiz SSR	1952–1992			Flag of Kirghiz SSR
	Latvian SSR	1953–1990			Flag of Latvian SSR
	Lithuanian SSR	1953–1988			Flag of Lithuanian SSR
	Moldavian SSR	1952–1990			Flag of Moldavian SSR
	Russian SFSR	1954–1991			Flag of the Russian SFSR
	Tajik SSR	1953–1992			Flag of Tajik SSR
	Turkmen SSR	1953–1992			Flag of Turkmen SSR
	Ukrainian SSR	1949–1991			Flag of Ukrainian SSR
	Uzbek SSR	1952–1991			Flag of Uzbek SSR
	Soviet Army	1946–1992			List of Russian flags
Spain	Almendros	1988–present			List of Spanish flags
	Arapiles	1993–present
	Burgueta	2001–present
	Puebla de Almenara	1988–present
	Villarrubio	1988–present
Transnistria	—	1991–present			Flag of Transnistria
United States	Alabama	1861–1865			Flag of Alabama
	Massachusetts	1908–1971			Flag of Massachusetts
	Minnesota	1893–1957			Flag of Minnesota
	Oregon	1859–present			Flag of Oregon
	Raleigh, North Carolina	1960–present			Flag of Raleigh, North Carolina
	Richmond, Virginia	1914–1933			Flag of Richmond, Virginia
	West Virginia	1905–1907			Flag of West Virginia Carmine red fringe
		1907–1929			Flag of West Virginia Old gold fringe

See also[]

• Glossary of vexillology
• Vexillology

This list is incomplete; you can help by . (August 2020)