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# Dictionary of Vexillology: A (Anchor – Appointment Flag)

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Last modified: 2026-04-25 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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- ANCHOR(S)
- ANCHOR CROSS
- ANCHOR FLAG
- ANCIENT
- ANCIENT CROWN
- ANCIENT SHIP
- ANDIRON
- ANDREEVSKI Ĭ (ANDREEVSKY or AHNDREEYEFSKEEY)
- ANGLE IRON
- ANGLED POLE
- ANGLED SWALLOW-TAIL
- ANIMATED
- ANKH (or ANKH CROSS)
- ANNIVERSARY FLAG
- ANNULET
- ANNULO
- ANNULUS
- ANSHENT
- ANSWERING PENNANT
- ANTENNA FLAG
- ANTESIGNORY (or ANTESIGNANUS)
- ANTI-ALIASING
- ANTICIPATORY FLAG
- ANTI-HERALDRY (or ANTIHERALDRY)
- ANTIQUE CROWN
- ANTIQUE SHIP
- ANTLER(S)
- ANTLERED
- ANVIL
- APPLIQUÉ
- APPOINTMENT FLAG

ANCHOR(S)
  The device (or devices) for securing a vessel when moored in a roadstead or harbour and not alongside a wharf or quay – but see the note below, anchor flag and fouled anchor).

  Flag of the Admiralty Board 1975–2003, UK; Flag of the Admiralty Board, UK; Flag of the National Maritime Museum, UK

  Notes
  a) Whilst other orientations are known, anchors are usually (but not invariably) illustrated vertically with the ring uppermost, and:
  b) In a traditional anchor (as it is generally seen on flags) the chief parts are the shank or main section, the ring to which its cable or chain may be attached, the stock or cross piece below that ring, the arms at the base and the flukes at each end of those arms.

ANCHOR CROSS
  In heraldry see cross moline.

  Flag of Oegstgeest, The Netherlands

ANCHOR FLAG
  1) In UK usage, a term for the flag of the Lord High Admiral, and one the three masthead flags flown (since c1660) when the monarch is aboard a naval vessel – the Lord High Admiral’s flag (see also masthead flag).
  2) In UK usage, now obsolete, the flag of the Board of Admiralty – the admiralty flag – but see note a) below (also fouled anchor).

  Lord High Admiral 1685–1688, England; The Board of Admiralty 19th century, UK; and as modified in 1929, UK

  Notes
  a) The Board of Admiralty was dissolved in 1964 with the office of Lord High Admiral reverting to the crown, however, during the preceding two hundred and fifty years the role was most often "in commission" and the anchor flag also flown by the Board.
  b) The three masthead flags flown (since c. 1660) when the monarch is aboard a naval vessel are that of the Lord High Admiral at the fore, the royal standard at the main and a union jack at the mizzen (see also launching flags and its second note following (also foremast, main and mizzen).

  A Royal Visit to the Fleet 1672, William van de Veld (rmg.co.uk)

ANCIENT
  1) In heraldry, a coat of arms or charge formerly in use but now replaced by another design which is then termed modern such as, for example, Austria ancient and Austria modern.
  2) In vexillology, a 16th/17th century term, now wholly obsolete, for a ship’s stern mounted ensign, or military colour whether displayed ashore or afloat – an anshent or auncient (see also colour 2), deck flags)), ensign 1), pavisade, and streamer 2).
  3) A 16th/17th century term, now wholly obsolete, equivalent to, and with the same duties as, the later but also obsolete army rank of ensign (see also ensign 3) and ensign 4)).

  France Ancient, France Modern; Ancient/Ship’s Ensign, English c1590

  Please note with regard to 1) that before modern usage restricted the term, it could be (and was) employed to signify something not in the current style or mode.

ANCIENT CROWN
  See antique crown 2) and coronet 1).

  Arms and Flag of Reguenga, Portugal

ANCIENT SHIP
  In English heraldry the term for a (usually but not invariably) single-masted sailing ship, regardless of specific type – an antique ship – but see notes below (also lymphad).

  Flag of Nordfriesland County, Germany; Flag of Kostrena, Croatia; Local flag of Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, France

  Notes
  a) Before modern usage restricted the term "ancient", it could be (and was) employed to signify something not in the current style or mode.
  b) A vessel with oars but more than one mast should be blazoned "galley" – see galley.
  c) Single-masted Medieval sailing ships fall into a number of different categories of which two are separately defined herein under cog 2) and nef.
  d) This term can (and sometimes does) include sailing vessels with more than one mast as illustrated above – see caravel, carrack and galleon.

ANDIRON
  A device, usually made of cast iron, used to hold logs safely within a fireplace – in Continental heraldry it is often stylized in the form of a pall (or Y-shape) with ornamented endings and details as illustrated below (see also carbuncle, forked cross, millrind).

  Arms of Sulzfeld (im Grabfeld), Saal upon Saale and Großbardorf, Germany (Wikimedia)

ANDREEVSKIĬ (ANDREEVSKY)
  See St Andrew’s cross 3) and its following note.

  Russian ensign

  Please note that Андреевский – Andreevskiĭ with alternative transliterations – is the Russian term for their naval ensign.

ANGLE IRON
  The representation of a metallic, right-angled object used in building (see also cramp).

  Flag of São Tomé de Vade, Portugal; Flag of Horstedt, Germany; Former flag of Paços de Ferreira, Portugal

ANGLED POLE
  See outrigger pole.

ANGLED SWALLOW-TAIL
  See chamfered swallow-tail.

  Guidon of the Royal Gloucestershire Yeomanry 1797, UK

ANIMATED
  In South European heraldry, and a direct translation of the Portuguese animado, the term is used to indicate that an animal's eye is shown in a different tincture from its body (see also heraldry).

  Flag of Covelo do Gerês, Portugal; Arms of Sedielos, Portugal; Flag of Moimenta da Serra e Vinhó, Portugal

ANKH (or ANKH CROSS)
  An ancient Egyptian cross-like symbol – an ankh cross or Egyptian cross (see also cross tau).

  Flag used by the Music Group X Clan

ANNIVERSARY FLAG
  See commerorative flag.

  Commemorative Flag commemorating the 500th year of Spanish discoveries

ANNULET
  The heraldic term for a ring-like charge – see ring 1) (also annulus).

  Flag of Groß Twülpstedt, Germany; Flag of Suraua, Switzerland; Flag of Warnau, Germany

ANNULO
  In heraldry see in annulo.

  Flag of the Rulers of Tuscany, 1531–1737

ANNULUS
  A term sometimes used in heraldic blazoning when the main charge (or charges) is (or are) surrounded by an annulet (see also blazon).

  Flag of Sedgley, UK

ANSHENT
  See ancient 2).

  An Anshent/Ancient, English c1590

ANSWERING PENNANT
  See code pennant.

  Code/Answering Pennant in the ICS

ANTENNA FLAG
  A flag designed to be displayed from a vehicle’s radio antenna – see car flag 2).

ANTESIGNORY (or ANTESIGNANUS)
  Terms, now obsolete, for the guard who precedes a standard (see also standard 5)).

  Please note, it is suggested that the alternative form was used in medieval manuscripts.

ANTI-ALIASING
  A computer graphics term used to describe the technique of giving low resolution flag illustrations a smoother appearance by colouring pixels at the border between two differently coloured surfaces with intermediate shades.

ANTICIPATORY FLAG
  1) A newly introduced term for a flag that displays (for patriotic or commercial reasons) any symbol or symbolism prior to official authorization.
  2) See flag of pretence.

  National Flag of Comoros; Naval Ensign of Bolivia; 39 Star Flag of the United States 1839

  Please note that the 39 star of the United States, for example (and illustrated above), displays a symbol in advance of any official authorization, whereas a “flag of pretence”, for example the national flag of Comoros or naval ensign of Bolivia, both show one more star than they have provinces under their control.

ANTI-HERALDRY (or ANTIHERALDRY)
  A term used to describe the design of those seals and emblems which do not contain (and may have been specifically designed not to contain) heraldic symbolism – for example the seals of many US states widely used on their flags, and the emblems of most former Soviet-bloc states (see also allegory, badge 1), heraldry, emblem 2), non-heraldic, pre-heraldic, seal, seal flag and state flag 2)).

  State Seal of Florida, US; Flag of Yona, Guam; Emblem of Estonia ca. 1940–1990

  Please note that this term has its origins in a rejection of heraldic symbolism and of all things having a connection to royalty or the nobility, with prominent early examples stemming from the American War of Independence and the French Revolution.

ANTIQUE CROWN
  1) Generically and in Continental European heraldry see coronet).
  2) Specifically in English heraldry, a type of coronet that is generally (but not exclusively) composed of a circlet with triangular rays – an ancient or Plantagenet crown.

  Flag of Guelph, Canada; Flag of Wellington, Canada; Flag of Newfoundland, Canada 1862–1872

ANTIQUE SHIP
  In heraldry see ancient ship.

  Ensign and Burgee of the Royal Lymington Yacht Club, UK

ANTLER(S)
  In heraldry see attire(s).

  Arms and Flag of Draž, Croatia

ANTLERED
  In heraldry see attired.

  Flag of Heiden, Switzerland; Arms of Dacorum, UK

ANVIL
  A device often seen in (often but not invariably Southern European) civic heraldry and the base upon which a blacksmith hammers heated metal.

  Flag and Arms of Quintanilha, Portugal; Flag of Ferreiros, Portugal

APPLIQUÉ
  (n & v) A method of flag manufacture in which one or more pieces of cloth are stitched on the field to form a design. This technique is often used where the design on the obverse differs from that on the reverse – but see double appliqué and single appliqué (see also obverse and reverse).

APPOINTMENT FLAG
  1) In UK and some other military usage, that flag which corresponds to a particular position held, rather than to the rank of the officer who currently holds it – but see positional flag (also class flag and rank flag 1)).
  2) See distinguishing flag 1).

  Military Attaché, UK (Graham Bartram); RAF Station Commander, UK; RAF Members of the Air Force Board, UK

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