Lapel Pin - Ypres, Belgium Coat of Arms Badge: The double cross is the oldest symbol of the city of Ieper. The oldest use of the cross dates from a seal of the city from 1199. On the oldest seal the cross is surrounded by two eagles, a star and crescent as well as two lions of Vlaanderen. The present arms, with a second cross of vair in the lower half, appeared for the first time on the seals in 1372. The shield was supported by two lions of Vlaanderen. All later seals and images have shown the same shield, however, sometimes the shield is divided, sometimes the small cross is shown in chief. Since 1925 the town is entitled to use the French and British military crosses around the shield, which also symbolise the heavy fighting around the city during four years. The cross in the chief is the symbol used by the city and was used by the citizens of Ieper during the Guldensporenslag on July 11, 1302. Why the city chose this specific cross is not known. The cross in the lower half is derived from the arms of the burggraves ('governors') of Ieper from the Belle family. The family already used this cross in the early 13th century. Ypres (Ieper) is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. Though Ieper is the Dutch and only official name, the city's French name, Ypres, is most commonly used in English due to its role in World War I when only French was in official use in Belgian documents, including on maps. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote. Together, they are home to some 34,900 inhabitants. During World War I, Ypres was the centre of intense and sustained battles between German and Allied forces. During the war, because the British troops had trouble pronouncing its name, they nicknamed the city "Wipers".