Anachronistic representation of the royal banner of the 12th(?) or 13th to early 15th centuries.
<p>The banner of this period would be square in shape, and the eagle would not have a halo.
</p>
The black eagle in a golden field was the ensign of the German kings (as opposed to the emperor) in the 12th and 13th century, but in the 14th century, it was gradually re-interpreted as representing the empire. An early reference to such a banner as "imperial" is made in an account of the burial of Charles IV (d. 1378), as <i>der schwartz adler des richs in einem guldin veld </i>.
Drawing created by <a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:David_Liuzzo" title="User:David Liuzzo">David Liuzzo</a>
Attribution
<span class="int-own-work" lang="en">Own work</span>