Navy Flag from War of 1812 a Prized Piece of London Auction

A piece of U.S. Navy history will be sold at auction by a private collector in May. 

The 15-star U.S. naval jack, with an estimated value of £18,000-£25,000, approximately $27,400-$38,100, was used on a vessel commanded by Captain Thomas Brown, of Philadelphia. Brown served under Commodore Isaac Chauncey at Sacket's Harbor, and wrested control of Lake Ontario from British forces in 1812.

The flag has a star for each of the original 13 states and an additional two for Vermont and Kentucky.

According to auction's publicist, Suzanne Trisk, the flag was passed from the Brown family to the U.S. Book Trade Association and sold in 1998 to a Belgian collector.

The flag will be auctioned along with more than 300 other maritime history lots by Charles Miller Ltd., Trisk said. The auction is open to the public, and bids can be made worldwide by phone or in the salesroom. For more information on the auction, visit the auctioneer's website.