Question: What’s the rarest color to see on any nation’s flag?
Answer: Purple. Very few countries use any purple on their flags, and none did before the 20th century. Today, Nicaragua and Dominica have added small splashes of purple within larger designs—and that’s it. The reason: purple was once the most expensive color to produce. Before the 19th century, the dye cost the equivalent of $56,000 a pound (in today’s money) to produce. Other uncommon flag colors are gray, brown, and orange. The most common color is red, followed by blue and then white. Sounds familiar!
