06/08/2026
The highlight of Copley Fine Art Auctions' sale on February 20-21 came late in the second day of the two-day sale and was neither a bird nor a painting; it was instead a flag bearing the image of a fish.
Not just any flag, however, it was the flag from the "Pilar," Ernest Hemingway’s fishing boat. The flag, hand sewn and 21½" x 14½", bears the image of a marlin and was flown from the "Pilar" whenever a marlin was landed. It was estimated at $5000/8000 and landed $209,100.
Hemingway acquired the 38' "Pilar" in 1934, customized with a live fish well, extra-large fuel tanks to enable the boat to stay at sea longer, two motors, a flying bridge, and a roller across the transom to aid in hauling fish aboard.
The flag was collected and preserved by Captain Bob Smith, a chair boy aboard the "Pilar," a Bimini guide, and a friend of Hemingway, and entered a Florida collection in 1989. Viewed this winter by friends of this reporter, the "Pilar" remains in Cuba.
https://www.maineantiquedigest.com/stories/hemingways-flag-tops-59-million-sale/10540
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Published monthly, Maine Antique Digest covers the marketplace for Americana and art. Each issue features antiques news, auctions, and shows across the U.S.
