The current state flag of Maine was introduced on 23rd of February in 1909. It is a blue bunting and shows the coat of arms of the state in the centre. It dates from 1820 and shows a shield with a golden border and a landscape with a pine tree, a moose and a body of water in the foreground. A farmer and a sailor serve as supporters (shield holders). Above the shield appears the North Star and the motto of the state: "Dirigo" (I lead). Below is a banner with the name of the state. The blue of the flag cloth must match the blue in the flag of the USA. The pine tree is the national tree of the country and refers to its nickname: "Pine Tree State". The moose stands for the country's unspoilt forest areas, the bodies of water and for the sea. The farmer represents agriculture and the sailor represents trade and fishing. The North Star stands for the country itself, which was the northernmost state in the USA until 1837. It also provides orientation in the solitude of the country's forests. The state flag can be used by anyone. There is an official flag for use by government offices and authorities, which was also introduced in 1909 and originated from military flags, and is therefore also plain blue and shows an older version of the coat of arms on a gold-framed disc. Maine is one of the two states in the USA that also has its own merchant and sea flag (ensign). It was introduced in 1939, is plain white and shows a pine tree firmly attached to an anchor, along with the motto (Dirigo) and the name of the state. The first national flag was introduced on 21st of March in 1901. It was leather-coloured (buff) and showed a pine tree (New England, freedom) and a blue, five-pointed star (North Star) in the upper corner. It was replaced on 23rd of February in 1909 with the introduction of the current flag. There are endeavours to reintroduce this flag.
In the state flags of Delaware and New Jersey as well as in the former state flags of New York (1896–1901) and Maine (1901–1909), the colour is described as "leather-coloured" or "buff". This colour is now standardised in United Kingdom and in the USA as "Pantone 465". Nevertheless, the colour tone varies greatly in practice because the colour tone of the leather is determined by the species, breed, sex, age and health of the animal. The Anglo-American buff colour is based on the colour of the doublet worn by the light cavalry – the arquebusiers of the Parliamentary side in the English Civil War – Oliver Cromwell's "The Ironsides". This is recorded in reports as a "yellowish mustard colour". The light militia cavalry of Massachusetts (Massachusetts Militia Light Horse) brought exactly this "buff" with them to the New World. In England and then United Kingdom, the 3rd Regiment of Line Infantry wore leather clothing and cartridge pouches made of untreated coloured leather with their red uniform coat, rather than the usual white. It also wore "buff" as its insignia colour. The nickname and then official nickname of the regiment was "The Buffs". As commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, George Washington wore the uniform he had previously worn, that of an officer of the independent militia company of Fairfax County/Virginia: dark blue coat, badge, waistcoat and trousers in "buff". This became – at least in theory – the prescribed dress colour for American generals during the War of Independence. The Continental infantry regiments of the New York and New Jersey line wore "buff" as the insignia colour on the blue uniform coat for at least two years – an ideal that only applied to a minority. At least half of the Continental Army wore the hunting shirt or civilian hunting textile skirts, at least temporarily. The Maine and Delaware militia preferred to wear buff-coloured waistcoats and trousers. The 14th Continental Infantry Regiment (Massachusetts line) wore buff-coloured uniform skirts. It consisted mainly of bargemen, fishermen and sailors. It enabled the Continental Army to cross the Delaware, which was followed by the Battle of Trenton. The well-known painting "Washington Crosses the Delaware" shows a false US flag, namely the "Betsy Ross" flag. The correct flag would have been the "Grand Union" flag with the small "Union Jack" in the upper corner. Contemporary colour illustrations, paintings and descriptions show a number of buff variations: beige / mustard / yellowish / light, medium and dark beige / light, medium and dark brown, through to dull white. In addition to the leather colour "buff", there is also the textile colour "buff" made from plant dyes, combined with the same variety of colours. In the US Civil War it was called "butternut". The badge colour and the colour of the sashes for Confederate generals was "buff" (as the colour of George Washington, so to speak), but the majority of them preferred a dull white. This "grey-white" of the Confederate army is still referred to today not simply as "grey", but as "gray", and it includes shades from almost white to black-grey.
The name "Maine" probably goes back to the former northern French county of Maine, as it may have been brought to the country by French colonists. However, the name could also derive from the short form of the English word "mainland".
