White flag

"I'm having a thought here, Barbossa. What say we run up a flag of truce, I scurry over to the Interceptor, and I negotiate the return of your medallion, eh? What say you to that?"

- Jack Sparrow to Hector Barbossa

The White flag was the international symbol of surrender or truce.

History
"Captain, I've spoken to the men and reassured them. The pirates will be boarding in a few minutes. We have a white flag up. But they’ll want the two of us down on the weather deck, too, so they can keep an eye on us."

- Jack Sparrow to Nathaniel Bainbridge

The white flag indicates peace and is usually flown in times of war. Historians believe the use of a white flag to surrender dates back to the Eastern Han dynasty of 25 AD - 220AD and maybe even earlier.

The flag of France was a plain white flag which had a fleur de lys added to it. The flag of England was a white flag with the red cross.