Heraldry
In
heraldry, a ''roundel'' is a circular
charge. ''Roundels'' are among the oldest charges used in
coats of arms, dating from at least the twelfth century. Roundels in British heraldry have different names depending on their
tincture (colour). Thus, while a roundel may be
blazoned by its tincture, e.g., ''a roundel vert'' (literally "a roundel green"), it is more often described by a single word, in this case ''pomme'' (literally "apple", from the French).
|-
! colspan="2" bgcolor=#E0E0E0|metals
! colspan="5" bgcolor=#E0E0E0|colours
! colspan="1" bgcolor=#E0E0E0|neutral
|-
| align="center" | bezant
''coin''
| align="center" | plate
''silver''
| align="center" | hurt
''berry''
| align="center" | torteau
''cake''
| align="center" | pellet
''gunshot''
| align="center" | pomme
''apple''
| align="center" | golpe
''wound''
| align="center" | fountain
''fountain''
|
In French blazon, a roundel of either metal (''or'' or ''argent'') is a ''besant'', and a roundel of any colour (dark tincture) is a ''torteau'', with the tincture specified.
One special example of a named roundel is the
fountain. This is depicted as ''a roundel barry wavy argent and azure''. That is, it is not filled in a single tincture, but with alternating horizontal wavy bands of blue and silver (or white). Because the fountain consists equally of parts in a light and a dark tincture, its use is not limited by the
rule of tincture as are the other roundels.
In their earliest uses, roundels were often strewn (''semy'') upon the field of a coat of arms, a design with as many names as there are tinctures. For example, a field ''semy of roundels argent'' could be called ''platy''; a field ''semy of roundels sable'' could be called ''pellety''. The precise number and placement of the roundels in such cases were usually left to the discretion of the artist.
Because of their long use and simple outline, roundels are accorded status as a
subordinary charge by most heraldic writers.
The term ''roundel'' also describes a circular shield used for heraldic display (as opposed to other forms such as the more common
escutcheon or
lozenge). An example of arms borne on a roundel is the
Coat of Arms of Nunavut.
Use on military aircraft
The first use of a roundel on military aircraft was during the
First World War by the
French Air Service. The chosen design was the French national
cockade, which consisted of a blue-white-red emblem mirroring the colours of the
Flag of France. Similar national cockades were designed and adopted for use as aircraft roundels by their allies. The British
Royal Flying Corps (RFC) abandoned their original painted
Union Flags because they looked too much like the
German cross and the British soldiers in the trenches had shot at them mistaking them for German aircraft. Instead, British aircraft roundels were eventually designed to use the French colours in reverse, red-white-blue from center to rim, after a short period of using a red-rimmed white circle that closely resembled the roundel, used to this day, by
Denmark. This red-white-blue from center to rim roundel design was subsequently adopted by British Imperial air forces with a maple leaf (
RCAF), kangaroo (
RAAF), and kiwi (
RNZAF). During WWI, roundels based on national cockade colours were subsequently adopted by the air forces of other countries, including the
U.S. Army Air Service.
During the
Second World War, the red inner circle of RAF-based roundels on planes based in the Asia-Pacific was painted white or light blue, so they would not be confused for the
Hinomaru red circle on Japanese planes, still used by the self-defense forces of Japan to this day.
In recent decades, "low-visibility" roundels have been used, especially on active combat types. Low-visibility roundels usually have subdued, low-contrast colors or stenciled outlines.