Jolly Roger

Signal, Sport and Symbolic Flags

The generic name for the flags flown by pirates in the early 18th century. Individual captains flew their own variants.

Hoist Ratio 2:3 Fly

Basic Flag Information

Flag Name	Jolly Roger
Category	Signal, Sport and Symbolic Flags
Adopted On	1700
Flag Proportion	2:3
Flag Shape	Rectangle
Number of Colors	2
Main Colors	Black, White
Design Type	Black field with a skull and crossed bones

Flag Color Information

Color	Appearance	HEX Code
Black		#000000
White		#FFFFFF

Flag Design and Symbols

Black colour	Represents the field
White colour	Represents the skull and bones
Skull and crossbones	A pirate’s warning that quarter would be given if a ship surrendered — a plain red flag meant no quarter at all

About the Jolly Roger

The generic name for the flags flown by pirates in the early 18th century. Individual captains flew their own variants.

WorldFlags.online keeps this design in the Signal, Sport and Symbolic Flags collection rather than presenting it as a current sovereign-state flag. That category determines how dates, status and reuse guidance should be read.

Design and construction

Black field with a skull and crossed bones; recorded proportion 2:3.

Reference palette

The stored palette is Black (#000000) and White (#FFFFFF). These values are reference values for the artwork in this library and should not be treated as a legal colour specification unless the issuing body publishes one.

Symbols and meaning

Skull and crossbones: A pirate’s warning that quarter would be given if a ship surrendered — a plain red flag meant no quarter at all.

Date and authorship

The record dates the design to 1700.

Why this record is separate from national flags

Historical, organisational, political, identity, religious, regional and signal flags can be important reference material without having the status of a present-day national flag. Keeping those categories separate makes the library clearer and reduces the risk of presenting a historical or protected emblem as a current national symbol.

Verification sources

Flags of the World — specialist flag reference index — Specialist vexillological reference

Facts about the Flag of Jolly Roger

Jolly Roger is filed under Signal, Sport and Symbolic Flags rather than the current national-flag index.
The recorded construction is black field with a skull and crossed bones.
The reference proportion is 2:3.
The stored palette contains Black and White.
The record dates this design to 1700.
Skull and crossbones: A pirate’s warning that quarter would be given if a ship surrendered — a plain red flag meant no quarter at all.
The generic name for the flags flown by pirates in the early 18th century. Individual captains flew their own variants.

Frequently asked questions about the Jolly Roger

What is the Jolly Roger?

The generic name for the flags flown by pirates in the early 18th century. Individual captains flew their own variants.

What type of flag is the Jolly Roger?

It is catalogued under Signal, Sport and Symbolic Flags rather than the current sovereign-state flag index.

What does the Jolly Roger look like?

Black field with a skull and crossed bones, with a recorded proportion of 2:3.

What proportion is recorded for the Jolly Roger?

The reference proportion stored for this record is 2:3.

Which colours are recorded for the Jolly Roger?

The reference palette lists Black #000000 and White #FFFFFF.

What do the symbols on the Jolly Roger mean?

Skull and crossbones — A pirate’s warning that quarter would be given if a ship surrendered — a plain red flag meant no quarter at all.

When is the Jolly Roger dated or adopted?

The record gives 1700.