I am one of the editors of Flags of the Confederacy web site and hope this will help.

The late Howard Madaus did a survey of existing ANV Third Bunting flags and based on that he noted that those issued in 1863 tended to be roughly 45 inches square versus 48 inches in the 1862 models. This was probably due to wanting to save imported wool bunting.

For the red field of the 1862 issues of the flags there were three bolts used. Two were 18 inches wide and one was 12 inches (probably cut down from the 18 inch widths). These were used as the basis for those flags. In 1863, I guess the Richmond Depot felt that cutting the 12 inch bolt to 9 inches (again taken from the 18 inch bolts) would allow for a better use of the wool bunting in that you could then use the other 9 inch width for yet another flag. I never did figure out why they used the 12 inch width as it wasted 6 inches of wool bunting (unless it was used for something else that we have yet to figure out). The 45 inches width made much more sense. So, within this, the flags issued to the regiments of DH Hill's Division in April 1863; AP Hill's Division in May 1863; George Pickett's Division in June 1863; Ed Johnson's Division in August/September 1863, and any flags for new units of the ANV or other replacement flags that year. I have not done a survey of ANV Third Bunting flags issued in 1864 prior to the ANV Fourth Bunting issue of May 1864 but I think it might be a safe bet to state that the depot continued making 45 inch flags until the Fourth Bunting banners showed up. Those flags went to the 51 inch size overall thanks to a new, and large, shipment of wool bunting from Britain.

I think this covers your question.

Greg Biggs