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Customs (Sweden)

Custom's Ensign, 1970-1988
Prior Flag

See also:

Custom's Ensign, 1970-1988

by Zeljko Heimer

Blue swallow-tailed broad pennant with yellow lion rampant, crowned proper and holding white portcullis with chains.

Based on the image in Album 2000, the fly size is about 6/10 of hoist and indentation depth is the same. As you might notice, I have drawn the lion with quite a level of artistic liberty, and I did not follow the Album image exactly. Quite honestly, I did it because I was lazy drawing the lion, but also I am not convinced that the Album lion is quite exact representation of the lion used by the customs.

Source: Album des pavillons (2000)
Zeljko Heimer, 15 March 2003

The emblem of the Swedish customs service was revised in 2001
Jan Oskar Engene, 15 March 2004

I sent an e-mail to the Swedish Customs Service to ask about whether the new version of the emblem is used in the customs pennant. Answer: They do not use a pennant anymore. The explanation is that the customs service, having been separated from the coast guard since 1. July 1988, does not have any vessels anymore.
Jan Oskar Engene, 24 March 2004

Prior flag

ratio: 2:3 by Zeljko Heimer

Customs signal used when ordering a ship to heave-to. Blue flag with yellow letter T crowned with a yellow stylized crown. This is obviously the predcessor to the current customs pennant, with equal function.

Source: Flaggenbuch
Zeljko Heimer, 18 March 2003

This pennant was introduced following the ban on putting emblems other than the national coats of arms onto the national flag introduced by the 1906 flag act. This meant that the previously used customs flag had to go.

According to a small article on the subject, Olof Monthan: Svensk tullfartygs bruk av flagga och stoppsignal, Tullmusei Vänner 1, 1972, the crowned T was used to 31. December 1970.
Jan Oskar Engene, 20 March 2003