Coats of Arms, What are they?

Coats of Arms (or armorial bearings) are hereditary heraldic devices, arranged according to conventional rules, appertaining to and honorably distinctive of individuals, corporations, cities, countries, etc. They are usually blazoned (painted in color) on a shield, and surmounted by a helmet and crest, and they may be accompanied by supporters, mottos, and mantlings. An achievement of arms is the aggregate of all these devices as borne by a person; so called because in old days the honor of arms was achieved by knightly deeds. Heraldry (or armory) is the body of doctrine (it used to be ranked as a science) which prescribes the rules by which arms are composed; in its widest scope it has to do with honorary distinctions of all kinds. The business of the herald, as Dr. Johnson well says, “is to proclaim peace and to denounce war; to be employed in martial messages; and to judge and examine coats of arms.”