R4
Front View
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Back View
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Issue Details
- Issue Number
- R4
- Issue Type
- R: Round
- Category
- Regular Issue
- Description
See the history notes for full description. See additional images for the Baldwin County example.
- Year Issued
- 1953
- Quantity
- 0
- Material
- Unknown
- Backing Type
- Unknown
- Issue Shape
- Circle
- Border Type
- Border Color
- Background Color
- Lettering Color
- FDL/BSA Color
- Manufacturer
- Unknown
- PatchScan URL
- Unknown
- Color Count (PS)
- Unknown
- Coverage (PS)
- Unknown
- Size in mm
- 76mm w x 76mm h
- Restrictions
- No restrictions on this issue
- Annotations
- No annotations on this issue
- Designed by
- Charles B. McKee
- History
Has dots, has embroidered eye, '179' same size as other lettering
The '179 same size as other lettering' description was not part of Arapaho or Blue Book until 2000 when it was added to Blue Book 3. It was added based on the image from Jerry Roger's book The History of the Order of the Arrow in Alabama -- not an actual patch -- to help clarify confusion over that and the R5a.
There are 3 or 4 known examples:
1) Jerry Rogers – He had one pictured in his books. We don’t know where this one is.
2) There is one in Autauga County.
3) There is one in Baldwin County.
4) A collector in Barbour County says he has one, but we have never seen a picture.There wasn't an example of the R4 in the Topkis-Morely or Conley Williams collections.
The Baldwin and Autauga County pieces shown here are thread for thread an R3 down to the upward bump in the green line over 'LODGE'.
The dots on the Baldwin and Autauga County pieces are too perfect and too round when compared to the dots on the R5 rounds.
The dots on the back of the Autauga County example have no white in them at all, but the rest of the red does have white mixed in. The dots on most of the R5s do have white.
Many Alibamu collectors -- except those mentioned above who 'have one' -- believe this is likely a fake. Many of us believe the known R4s are R3's with dots sewn on later by an individual.
Sets
This issue is not part of any sets
Revision History
There have been 10 revisions. Last change was update on 11 May 2026 by Edward Dicks
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All Catalog Entries
This issue exists in the following catalogs:
-
PatchVault
Alibamu (179B) R4
-
Blue Book 6
Alibamu (179B) R4