In 1958, the flag of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) had six gold stars on a half-black, half-blue background (symbolically representing coal and steel). The number of stars was increased in accordance with the successive ECSC enlargements before being set at 12 after the 1986 enlargement. The colour of the stars changed from gold to silver. This document, dating from 1978, reproduces the ECSC flag with nine silver stars, representing the nine Member States at the time.