Vintage Silk Cigarette Card — Russia — Imperial Pre-1917 Flag — Godfrey Phillips BDV — No.14

Vintage Silk Cigarette Card — Flag of Russia — No.14 — Godfrey Phillips / BDV — c.1915

A superb vintage woven silk cigarette card depicting the national flag of Russia, from the highly collectable series issued by Godfrey Phillips (B.D.V.) around 1915. This is the pre-1917 Imperial Russian flag — the tricolour design used before the Soviet era, making it a historically significant and increasingly hard-to-find piece.

✨ Details

• Subject: Flag of Russia — Imperial tricolour

• Series: Godfrey Phillips / B.D.V. — National Flags / Silks

• Number: 14 printed at lower left

• Era: c.1914–1920

• Format: Woven silk with printed design, approx 65mm × 45mm

• Text: "RUSSIA" below the flag

📜 Condition

• ✅ Bright, vivid colours — blue and red still strong

• ✅ Clear, sharp print throughout

• ✅ Silk intact with no holes or stains

• ✅ Light natural fraying to edges consistent with age

• ✅ A crisp, well-preserved example of this desirable flag

💎 Why collect this one?

This pre-Soviet Russian flag is one of the most sought-after designs in the entire silk flag series. Since 1917, this exact arrangement has carried special historical meaning — and examples in this clean condition don’t come up often. A must for flag collectors, silk enthusiasts, and anyone with an eye for rare early-20th-century tobacco memorabilia.