Black Rod 1350 by royal letters patent, though the current title dates from 1522. The position was adopted by other members of the Commonwealth when they adopted the British Westminster system. The title is derived from the staff of office, an ebony staff topped with a golden lion, which is the main symbol of the office's authority. A ceremonial rod or staff is a common type of symbol indicating the authority of the office-holder. Depictions of ancient authority figures in many cultures include such a rod (alternatively called a sceptre). Another early example was the fasces (literally a bound bundle of rods)
Symbols of Romanian Royalty wore a similar mantle, called in . The Phanariotes wore a mantle called in . The Romanian Rulers from the 19th century reintroduce the mantle as symbol of authority, but unlike the Mircea the Elder's ceremonial dress, these had a long tail. The cyphers used by the "Domnitori" where formed by their initials. The signs where printed on small seals and on other objects. After 1834, the cyphers appear mostly on the flags (the battle/war flags). Symbols of Romanian Royalty The symbols of Romanian Royalty consist of the five symbols of the supreme authority: the Royal Crown, the mace (the