Last modified: 2014-12-20 by rob raeside
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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State Seal of Georgia, Minnesota, and Utah and the municipal seal of Bakersfield, US (fotw, official and
Wikipedia); Seal of
Subotica, Serbia (fotw)
Please note, that whilst a seal originally showed the user’s badge or parts of their armorial bearings (and was used to create an impression on wax or lead), when seen on flags today it is generally not (particularly in US usage) a coat of arms as defined herein (see also ‘anti-heraldry’).
From left: Flag of Utah, US (fotw); Flag of
Missouri, US (fotw); Flag of Kentucky, US (fotw);
Flag of the Dept of Energy, US (fotw); Flag of Subotica, Serbia (fotw)
Notes
a) This term has been introduced by the Editors since
no established alternative could be found.
b) In US usage flags of his type are often derived from
previously established military colours.
Seals of the States of Florida, Utah and Minnesota, US (FOTW and Wikipedia)
National flag and Emblem of Morocco (fotw)
Flag of
New Hampshire, US (fotw); Flag of
Idaho, US (fotw); Flag of
Minnesota, US (fotw); Flag of
New York, US (fotw)
Second/Regimental Colour of the Governor General’s Foot Guards, Canada (Official Website)
Roundels of The Czech Republic and
Jordan (fotw)
Sector/Registration flag, One Department of Rochefort, France (fotw)
From left: Flag of
Gornji Grad, Slovenia (fotw); Symbol of the
Ratana faith, New Zealand (fotw)
Flag of Haguenau, France (fotw); Flag of
Lochristi, Belgium (fotw); Flag of
Broye, Switzerland (fotw); Flag of
Les Ecasseys, Switzerland (fotw)
Please note that botany draws a distinction between the stamen and seedpods of a rose or other flower, whereas English heraldry does not.
Flag of Mollis, Switzerland (fotw)
Military Crest of Michigan, US (fotw)
Positions in Semaphore (Jim Croft)
Please note with regard to 2), in British RN usage ships hoisted a designated semaphore flag to indicate that they were about to make a signal by means of the mechanical semaphore system.
Banner of France c1200 – c1350 (fotw); National Flag of France 1814 – 1830 (fotw); Arms and Flag of
Zumberak, Croatia (fotw); Former Arms and Flag of Alvalade, Portugal (Sérgio Horta)
Please note that in vexillology the term may be used even if the number and disposition of the charges are strictly determined as in, for example, the US national jack.
Traditional Jack, US (fotw)
Flag of Dully, Switzerland (fotw)
Notes
a) The word semeion had a broad range of meanings in classical
Greek all roughly corresponding to “sign” (see also ‘signum’) and it is accordingly
suggested that the definition given above (whilst based on written sources) must be considered to some
degree conjectural.
b) Semeia is the plural form of
semeion, and that classical
Greek writers also refer to “barbarian semeia” with those of the Phoenicians recorded as having been a globe and
crescent.
Flag of Wildberg, Switzerland (fotw)
From left: Argentina (CS); Estonia (CS); France, French Forces
only (CS)
Please note that a green, white and green square-ended pennant – the starboard pennant in the NATO signal code - is used for this purpose (at the starboard yardarm) by all warships of the Alliance, but usually only when there is no flag officer present who is flying his flag afloat. It is, however, also employed to indicate the senior officer when ships of more than one NATO navy are present in a port, irrespective of whether any flags of command or broad pennants are flying.
The Serapis/Franklin Pattern of Stars and Stripes, 1778 (fotw)
Examples of Sergeant Major’s Colours in Venn A and Venn B, English c1641 (fotw)
Please note that these flags relate to the field officer whose rank was immediately below that of Lt Colonel, and not to a regiment’s senior non-commissioned officer as is modern usage.
Notes
National Flag of Bahrain (fotw); Flag and Arms of
Milíkov, Czech Republic (fotw); Civil Ensign of Taiwan (fotw)
a) With regard to 1), the five white points on the flag
of Bahrain (illustrated above) refer to the five pillars of Islam.
b) The heraldic terms to describe this type of division are ‘indented’ or
‘dancetty’.
Former Postal Ensign/Flag of Norway (fotw)
Please note with regard to 4) that a gold star (as illustrated above) or emblem indicates that the person being represented
has died in service.
From left: Armistice Day Flag, US (Dave Martucci); Service Flags US (fotw); Canada (CS)
The DDR Shipping Inspectorate, 1955-90 (fotw); Lifesaving Service, US (fotw); Icebreaking Service, Denmark (fotw)
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