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Sovereign Military Order of Malta - Grand Masters Cotoner

Rafael Cotoner (1660-1663) and Nicolas Cotoner (1683-1680)

Last modified: 2007-06-16 by rob raeside
Keywords: sovereign and military order of malta | cotoner |
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image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 May 2007


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Description of flag

The two Grandmasters with the same name were Rafael Cotoner (1660-1663) and Nicolas Cotoner (1683-1680). As far as I know they were brothers. I do not know, which one it was, but that doesn't really matter, for both Grandmasters had the same coat of arms and therefore the same flag.

As usual the flag is divided quarterly. In the first and fourth quarter is the white Greek cross in a red field being the coat of arms of the order. In the second and third quarters are the coat of arms of the Cotoners, a green cotton tree with five white blossoms in a golden (=yellow) field. There are better paintings of that cotton bush. That one of my source looks like a candlestick with five lights. The source shows the state galley with alternating 16 square flags of the order and the Grandmaster. The flags must have had a size of estimated 8'6'' x 8'6'' or even bigger. I have supposed that the knights flanking the flags have a size of at least 6' in full armor. (see
this file)
Source: Ernie Bradford: "Johanniter und Malteser", ISBN 3-8004-1047-8; OT: "The shield and the sword", p.79ff.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 22 May 2007