{{Era|ACAC|AC|ACBL|AC2|AC2D|ACB|ACR|AC3|AC3L|AC4|PL|TF|TC|ACL|ASD|ACE|Assassins}}
{{Youmay|the Assassin Order's insignia|the [[Templars|Templar Order]]'s [[Templar insignia|insignia]]}}
{{Quote|The symbol that you sought and found... It is a mark of courage and honor, yes. But it promises pain and loss as well.|[[Oiá:ner]], regarding the insignia.}}

[[File:AssassinLogo.png|150px|thumb|The Assassin insignia]]
The '''insignia''' of the [[Assassins|Assassin Order]], though varying slightly over different time periods and countries, held essentially the same shape and style. Each of its variations also possibly denoted the various sects of the Order.

==History==
During the High Middle Ages, the insignia was used to mark the entrances of [[Assassins' Bureau]]s, and could be seen on the banners decorating the fortress of [[Masyaf]].<ref>''[[Assassin's Creed]]''</ref>

During the [[Renaissance]] in [[Italy]], it was used on the mechanisms in the many [[Secret Locations|Assassin Tombs]], and on the banners and walls of [[Monteriggioni]].<ref name="AC2">''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''</ref> It was also displayed on the banners hung in the [[Tiber Island]] [[Tiber Island headquarters|headquarters]].<ref name="Brotherhood">''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]''</ref>

In [[Constantinople]], [[Assassin Dens]] and [[ziplines]] had a small Assassin insignia atop them, while [[Bomb-crafting stations]] were all painted with the [[Turkish Assassins]]' personal insignia.<ref name="Revelations">''[[Assassin's Creed: Revelations]]''</ref>

Possible Origins

Calipers are a tool used in various trades, typically for measurement. "It is used in many fields such as mechanical engineering, metalworking, forestry, woodworking, science and medicine." [Wikipedia, Calipers] Science is closely associated and respected by the Assassins, as opposed to the promotion of superstition and dogma of the Templars.

Also of note is that most Assassin's Guilds use the "Pinched Flesh" just below the calipers. Some sects required severing the ring finger of full members both to demonstrate their commitment and for the special operation of their Assassin's Blade.

Lastly, the letter "A" from the Latin alphabet is widely recognized and easily identifiable and useful for marketing, branding and identifying the Assassin's Creed.

==Appearances on Assassins==
Additionally, the insignia was worn openly on the armor and clothing of certain known Assassins, such as [[Mario Auditore]],<ref name="AC2"/> [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]],<ref name="AC2"/> [[Nikolai Orelov]],<ref name="The Fall">''[[Assassin's Creed: The Fall]]''</ref> [[Achilles Davenport]], [[John de la Tour]], [[Ratonhnhaké:ton]],<ref name="AC3">''[[Assassin's Creed III]]''</ref> and [[Saeko Mochizuki]].<ref name="Initiates">''[[Assassin's Creed: Initiates]]''</ref> Certain [[Modern times|modern-day]] Assassins also wore the insignia in the form of a tattoo, such as [[Daniel Cross]]<ref name="The Fall"/> and [[Kiyoshi Takakura]].<ref name="Initiates"/>

==Trivia==
*In the [[Sanctuary]], all of the statues had different variations of the Assassin insignia on their waists.
*In ''[[Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood]]'', Desmond searched for Assassin insignias painted onto the walls, in order to guide him to the [[Colosseum Vault]].
*The cape worn during the [[Carnevale]] in ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'' bore an emblem similar to the Assassin insignia.
*The insignia bore some resemblance to the symbol of the [[Freemasons]], which was the {{Wiki|Square and Compasses|square and compasses}}.
*Both the original Levantine insignia and the Russian variations were vertically asymmetrical, unlike the most of variations known.
*The insignia could be seen on the back of the Seusenhofer [[armor]] and the [[Armor of Brutus]].
*The coin on the Mongolian Assassin insignia resembled one from the {{Wiki|Ming Dynasty}} of [[China]], which occurred much later than the period from which the insignia originated from.
*As the [[Mentor]] of the Levantine Assassins, [[Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad]] wore a cloak clasp in the shape of the Renaissance Roman Assassins’ insignia. His robes were also adorned by multiple symmetrical insignia.

==Renditions==
<gallery widths="180" position="center" spacing="small" captionalign="center">
Insignia 4.png|[[Persian Assassins]] Achaemenid Dynasty
Insignia 5.png|[[Babylonian Assassins]] Argead Dynasty
Insignia 2.png|[[Chinese Assassins]] Qin Dynasty
Insignia 3.png|[[Egyptian Assassins]] Ptolemaic Dynasty
Insignia 1.png|[[Roman Assassins]] Roman era
Syrian Insignia-R2.png|[[Levantine Assassins]] High Middle Ages
Insignia 6.png|[[Mongolian Assassins]] High Middle Ages
AC-Encyclopedia-Italian_Insignia.png|[[Italian Assassins]] [[Renaissance]]
ACII Armor Insignia.png|Italian Assassins (alternative) Renaissance
Ottoman Insignia-R.png|[[Turkish Assassins]] [[Ottoman Empire]]
ACE-V 6.png|Chinese Assassins Ming Dynasty
AC4 Insignia.png|Insignia of [[Edward Kenway]]'s ''[[Jackdaw]]''
ACIII_Insignia.png|[[Colonial Assassins]] [[American Revolutionary War|American Revolution]]
Aveline Insignia.jpg|Insignia on [[Aveline de Grandpré]]'s Hidden Blade, intertwined with the symbol of {{Wiki|Erzulie}}
Russian Insignia-R.png|[[Russian Assassins]] [[Russian Revolution]]
ACTF-DanielInsignia.jpg|A tattoo of an unknown insignia
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Assassin Order]]