Appears that the document will not transfer as an attachment, so I will past to an email - will make it long, but still available! Second Article on Coat of Arms In the first article (BFGSAugust 1997) we explored a BROWN Coat of Arms from Bonnyton, Scotland, This Article will identify other Crest parts, so that no matter which of the many BROWN COAT OF ARMS belongs to your Ancestry, you'll be able to decipher its history! Coat of Arms II The shield is called the "Escutcheon"; the decorative designs, coins, roundels (figures), and ordinaries on the shield are called "charges." The crest is usually an animal that rests on top of the shield. As part of the crest, there is the helmet and mantles, which are fancy representations of the protective cloth knights once, wore. And last, is the "motto" which can be in any language, but in England, Latin is generally used. The "hues" used in heraldry represent a clue about the bearer. The tinctures used are divided into metals, colors, and furs. They are indicated in black and white by drawings of a system of lines or dots that was introduced in the 17th Century of the Italian Herald Silvestre de Petra-Sancta. ( Examples will follow the article) The metals used are gold and silver. Gold (or yellow) denotes generosity, valor, elevation of mind, or perseverance. Silver (or white) represents serenity, nobility, purity of thought, or religious fervor. Metals are always displayed on color, and vice-versa. never metal on metal, or color on color. The colors are red, blue, green, black, and purple. (Reddish purple and orange-tawny are rarely used, as they represent marks of disgrace due to "abatement of honor." Red represents fortitude and creative power, while blue indicates loyalty truth, and splendor. Green means hope, vitality, and plenty. Black is for repentance or vengeance. Purple means loyalty and splendor. The furs most commonly used are vair and ermine. Vair signifies a high mark of dignity, and ermine denotes nobility with dignity. The charges seen on most BROWN COAT OF ARMS will likely be the lion, the eagle, Or cock. The figures: ships, helmets, and the shield are generally surrounded by fleurs-de-lis (flowers or feathers) symbolizing purity of conviction. The ordinaries (geometrical figures used as charges on the field) and are divided into two groups: honorable ordinaries and sub-ordinaries. The honorable ordinaries are seven (7) in number: the bend, chevron, chief, cross, fess, pale and saltire. There are fourteen (14) sub-ordinaries: annulet, billet, bordure, canton, flaunch, fret, the gyron, inescutcheon, the label, the lozenge, orle, pile, roundel, and the tressure. The partition lines are used to separate the field and to border the ordinaries. There are eight (8) basic styles: indented, inverted, engrailed, wavy, nebuly, embattled, raguly, and dovetailed. Pamela Brown Courtney, CRG & Research Editor for BFGS