The Cross of Lorraine is a heralic cross. The "double cross" consists of a vertical line crossed by two smaller horizontal bars. The lower bar is as close to the bottom of the vertical as the upper bar is to the top. In the ancient version, both bars were of the same length. In 20th century use it is displayed as "graded", where the lower bar is longer than the upper, thus resembling a patriarchal cross, the crossbars of which, however, are both near the top.