Why is purple almost never seen on national flags? Only two countries—Dominica and Nicaragua—feature it, and just in tiny details: Dominica’s parrot and Nicaragua’s rainbow. The reason? In the ancient world, purple was so expensive that it was worth more than gold!
The dye, called Tyrian Purple, came from a tiny sea snail, the murex. Tens of thousands of snails were needed for even a small amount, making purple the ultimate symbol of royalty, power, and wealth. It wasn’t until synthetic dyes arrived in the 19th century that purple became affordable—but by then, flags had already been designed.
Discover how a color fit for emperors became so rare and why only two modern flags dare to break tradition.
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