Victoria Flag

Illustration of a blue flag with white stars over black text on a white background

The Victoria state flag was first created as a colonial flag of Australia. Sweet Caporal erroneously depicted the Victoria Australian flag without the British Union Jack on this button. Today the flag pictures the British Crown, the Southern Cross paired with the current St. Edward’s Crown, and the Union Jack representing the region’s past with England.

Designed and manufactured by Whitehead & Hoag Co. advertisers like Sweet Caporal cigarettes were able to insert their own backings to this button. Sweet Caporal was a brand of cigarettes created by the Kinney Brothers Tobacco Company in 1878 and sold to the American Tobacco Company in 1911.  Sweet Caporal was a very popular brand, especially in Canada during the early part of the 20th Century.  In 1908, 50% of cigarette sales in Canada were comprised of the Sweet Caporal brand.