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Fasces on flags

Fasces on Italian Flags
Fasces on U.S Coins
Fasces on French Symbols
Fasces on Ecuadorian Flag
Fasces on Swiss Flags
Origin of Fasces

See also:

Fasces on Italian Flags

Perhaps the most famous use of fasces on flags are on those of Italy during Mussolini's time.

by Mario Fabretto, 14 November 1998

The flag of the Repubblica Sociale Italiana features the fasces with an eagle.

by Bonn Robert 20 January 1999

Mussolini's personal flag also used fasces.

Fasces on US Coin

Today I got as change an old "liberty head" US dime, dated 1924. On the reverse is the fasces, the ancient symbol of authority in the Roman Republic. A bundle of sticks bound together represent the idea that while one stick breaks easily, a bundle will not, while an axe in the middle represents military strength. There are fasces on the walls of the US House of Representatives.

Meanwhile, the Fasces also became associated with Fascism in Italy and Germany, around the time that this dime was issued. Does anyone know when the fasces came off the dime and if it was related to the rise of fascism in Europe?

The only flag I know to have fasces for sure is Italian-occupied Albania.

Joshua Fruhlinger 14 Nov 1996

Before the rise of fascism fasces were usually conected with the idea of republicanism, and still are. The extensive use of fasces in many places were especially in art stylo of 'secesionism' (at least that it is called here, beggining of 20th century, and art historian on the list would know what I am talking about and give proper English name). In that time fasces were to be find often as decorative element on furniture and fasades of buildings. Of the flags displaing them, three commes to mind off hand:
personal standard of Mussolini - blue with golden orle and fasces

Fasces on Ecuadorian Flag

Ecuador, state flag, in lower part of coat of arms

Fasces on Swiss Flags

The flag of the Swiss canton of St.Gallen is green with a white fasces. BTW, two fasces form a part of Norwegian police badges.

Military Flag of Switzerland c.1800 showing Willam Tell near fasces.

Zeljko Heimer,Jan Oskar Engene, Ivan Sache, Jean François Blanc, Philippe Bondurand Fri, 6 Mars