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# Dictionary of Vexillology: C (Cinquefoil – Civil Jack)

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Last modified: 2026-05-02 by martin karner
Keywords: vexillological terms |
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On this page:

- CINQUEFOIL (CINQFOIL or CINQUE-FOYLE)
- CIPHER
- CITATION FLAG (or PENNANT)
- CITY ARMS (or COAT OF ARMS)
- CITY FLAG
- CIVIC ARMS
- CIVIC BANNER
- CIVIC CROWN
- CIVIC FLAG
- CIVIC SASH
- CIVIL AIR (or AVIATION) ENSIGN (or FLAG)
- CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY (or ADMINISTRATION) FLAG
- CIVIL ENSIGN
- CIVIL FLAG
- CIVIL JACK

CINQUEFOIL (CINQFOIL or CINQUE-FOYLE)
  Alternative heraldic terms that describe a charge (usually but not invariably) in the form of a stylized flower having five petals and often (but not invariably) pierced in the centre – a cinofoil, cinque-foyle, quinterfoil or quintefeuille (see also quatrefoil and trefoil).

  Flag of All Souls College, UK; Flag of Gossliwil, Switzerland; Flag of Aetigkofen, Switzerland

CIPHER
  See royal cypher 1) and monogram.

  Cipher of HSH Prince Rainier III 1923–2005, Monaco

CITATION FLAG (or PENNANT)
  See award flag.

  Presidential Unit Citation Pennant, US

CITY ARMS (or COAT OF ARMS)
  See civic arms 1).

  Flag of the City of Gloucester, UK; Arms of the City of Nottingham, UK; Flag of the City of Sheffield, UK

CITY FLAG
  See civic flag 1).

  Flag of the City of Leicester, UK; Flag of the City of York, UK; Flag of the City of Southampton, UK

CIVIC ARMS
  1) The coat of arms or full set of armorial bearings of a municipality or urban area – municipal, borough or city arms (see also armorial bearings, civic flag 1) and coat of arms 2)).
  2) In UK usage and in some others, as above but also the arms or full set of armorial bearings of a sub-national county – the county arms (see also civic flag 2)).
  3) The term can also be applied to the emblems of sub-national entities that are not coats of arms or full sets of armorial bearings as defined herein (see also anti-heraldry).

  Flag of Plitvička jezera, Croatia; Arms of Wiltshire, UK; Flag of Pitomača, Croatia

CIVIC BANNER
  1) See banner 3).
  2) A term that may be used when the flag of a municipality or urban area is a banner of arms – see civic flag.

  Flag and Arms of Davle, Czechia

CIVIC CROWN
  1) The heraldic term for a closed garland or chaplet composed of oak leaves and acorns (see also crown triumphal).
  2) See mural crown 1).

  A Heraldic Civic Crown (Parker)

CIVIC FLAG
  1) The flag of a municipality or urban area – a municipal, borough or city flag (see also banner 4) and civic arms 1)).
  2) In UK usage and in some others, as above but also the sub-national flag of a county (see also civic arms 2)).
  3) See civil flag.

  Flag of Barrancos, Portugal; Flag of Ludwigslust, Germany; Flag of Bačice, Czechia

CIVIC SASH
  See sash 1).

  Civic Sash of France

CIVIL AIR (or AVIATION) ENSIGN (or FLAG)
  That flag, now increasingly obsolete, flown at civilian airports, landing fields and by some civil air authorities – but see civil aviation authority flag (also royal air mail pennant).

  Civil Air Ensign, South Africa c1935; Civil Air Ensign, Zambia; Civil Air Ensign, Guyana

  Please note that in British use (and in that of some Commonwealth countries) such a flag is called a civil air ensign (see also air mail flag).

CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY (or ADMINISTRATION) FLAG
  That flag which is flown by some country’s civil aviation authorities – but see civil air ensign.

  Civil Aviation Authority, Trinidad and Tobago; Civil Aviation Authority, Jamaica; Civil Aviation Administration, Argentina

CIVIL ENSIGN
  See under ensign.

  Civil Ensign of Albania; Civil Ensign of The Bahamas; Civil Ensign of Australia

CIVIL FLAG
  The version of a national or provincial flag that is for use by private citizens on land (see also national flag, official flag 2), state flag, ‘civil ensign’ under ensign and sub-national flag with following notes).

  Civil Flags of Guatemala, El Salvador and of the Canary Islands, Spain

CIVIL JACK
  See under jack.

  Civil Jack of The Bahamas

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