Holland - A city coat of arms?

[Wes Mattes]

A friend in a Dutch site has posed a curious question from a colleague.

"This week an antique dealer here in Houston asked me if I could tell him if the flag belongs to a Dutch city. I have never seen this design before. There's a kind of snake in the center. I'm curious. Any suggestions are appreciated. It was mentioned ''English ship'', while the ship 'a fluitschip, had an English flag on the front side and a Dutch flag on top of the main mast in higher position. That give me the impression that it was a Dutch ship sailing in the English waters, to show respect it had an English flag. Possible?"



Original here: https://i.imgur.com/GlMU8Yf.jpg

[KGarrad]

Welcome to RootsChat!

Doesn't look like any Dutch city coat-of-arms to me?
And I think the symbol in the middle is a bow

There is a border of a chain around the shield - maybe it's a clue?

[Wes Mattes]

Ooo a bow, good point! And I suspect the chain is a clue, but didn't think to look for that part. Someone in our Dutch community thought it might be connected to the area in Holland of Gouda



https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=nl&u=https://www.heraldry-wiki.com/heraldrywiki/index.php%3Ftitle%3DGouda&prev=search

[KGarrad]

Certainly it looks remarkably like the Gouda arms!

I tried the Gouda Docks Museum (http://www.museumhavengouda.nl), but the panoramic view of boats (schepen) doesn't show anything similar.

Gouda itself is in the Province of Utrecht - but their arms are totally different (I used to live in Utrecht!).

I suspect it might be a company of some sort based in Gouda?
It's not VOC (Dutch East Indies Company) anyway. Their flags are quite distinctive.

[Skoosh]

Love the cheese, vintage stuff! 

Skoosh.

[KGarrad]

Love the cheese, vintage stuff! 

Skoosh.

Only if you get the Mature Gouda!

[Wes Mattes]

Gouda itself is in the Province of Utrecht - but their arms are totally different (I used to live in Utrecht!).

I suspect it might be a company of some sort based in Gouda?
It's not VOC (Dutch East Indies Company) anyway. Their flags are quite distinctive.

Oh Hmm, interesting thought. Based out of. Had been mostly thinking ownership, but it could be a take off of some kind, guess the bow threw me off if that is true. Since the other Gouda flags have a sword of some sort down the middle.

With that I think we have another piece of the puzzle about their placement:

[KGarrad]

I agree re the placement of the flag.

There's also the thought that it's monochrome, rather than coloured?
Flags, and arms are almost never monochrome!

I blame the Americans

[Skoosh]

That's the stuff KG & Gouda's G as in loch! 

Skoosh.