Richard Worley Flag, White Skull Ensign - c.1718 - Pirate Wax Seal Stamp

Richard Worley Flag, Skull and Crossed Bones - c.1718 - Historical Wax Seal Stamp

Wax seal stamp based on the flag associated with Richard Worley, a pirate captain active along the Atlantic coast of North America during 1718 and early 1719.

Worley’s career was remarkably brief. According to A General History of the Pyrates, he left New York in late September 1718 in a small open boat with only a handful of companions, limited provisions and a few muskets. The group moved south along the American coast, gradually acquiring larger vessels and increasing their numbers.

After operating around the Delaware River and the Bahamas, Worley’s company had grown to around twenty-five men aboard a six-gun sloop. It was during this period that the contemporary account records him creating a distinctive black ensign.

A General History of the Pyrates, published in 1724 only a few years after Worley’s career, describes the flag as a black ensign with a white skull positioned in the centre. This gives Worley’s emblem a firmer documentary basis than many pirate flags attributed to individual captains.

The version reproduced here includes crossed bones behind the skull. The central white skull is directly supported by the early written description, while the crossed bones are not specifically mentioned in the 1724 account and are best understood as part of the later traditional reconstruction of the design. This means the stamp reflects both the historical source and the form in which the flag is most commonly recognised today.

The account also records Worley raising his black flag while approaching the Virginia Capes, where it was immediately recognised as a pirate emblem by observers ashore. His career ended shortly afterwards in February 1719.

This stamp therefore draws upon one of the better-documented pirate flag traditions of the Golden Age of Piracy, while also acknowledging the role of later reconstruction in shaping the familiar skull-and-bones version.

Design: Richard Worley flag
Person: Richard Worley
Date: c.1718
Period: Golden Age of Piracy
Documented Symbol: White skull on black field
Traditional Addition: Crossed bones
Source: A General History of the Pyrates, 1724
Stamp Size: 30 mm
Material: Solid brass
Type: Wax seal stamp / sealing stamp

Each stamp is made of solid brass, fitted with a wooden handle and presented in a velvet pouch.

Suitable for letters, envelopes, maritime collections, historical displays, nautical-themed stationery, pirate collections and decorative sealing.