A lost artifact that was part of one of the most iconic photos following the September 11th attacks is headed back to Lower Manhattan.

The photo of three firefighters raising the flag above the rubble at the World Trade Center quickly became a symbol of the city's resilience.

It's widespread use included this postage stamp.

But the flag itself went missing for years and was only recently found when police in Washington State received it anonymously.

9/11 Memorial Museum officials say it was authenticated with forensic testing.

They plan to debut a new exhibit featuring the original flag Wednesday.

Another flag officials thought was the original was kept at the World Trade Center site until they realized its measurements were off.