This does not answer the question, but I feel that it is appropriate to post for general information about crests & coats of arms. The following two questions and answers are copied from "The College of Arms". The homepage http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/ says: "The College of Arms is the official repository of the coats of arms and pedigrees of English, Welsh, Northern Irish and Commonwealth families and their descendants. Its records also include official copies of the records of Ulster King of Arms the originals of which remain in Dublin." "The officers of the College, known as heralds, specialize in genealogical and heraldic work for their respective clients." From their FAQs at this page http://www.college-of-arms.gov.uk/faq.htm Q. Do coats of arms belong to surnames? A. No. There is no such thing as a 'coat of arms for a surname'. Many people of the same surname will often be entitled to completely different coats of arms, and many of that surname will be entitled to no coat of arms. Coats of arms belong to individuals. For any person to have a right to a coat of arms they must either have had it granted to them or be descended in the legitimate male line from a person to whom arms were granted or confirmed in the past. Q. What is a crest? A. It is a popular misconception that the word 'crest' describes a whole coat of arms or any heraldic device. It does not. A crest is a specific part of a full achievement of arms: the three-dimensional object placed on top of the helm. ----- Original Message ----- From: akricci@owenanalytics.com To: POTTER-L@rootsweb.com Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 6:44 PM Subject: Potter Family Crest This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/jlABAEB/1747 Message Board Post: I have recently acquired a Potter family crest, with the motto "Semper Fidelis". It is at least 100 years old, and came from my g-grandmother Potter's home. Can anyone verify if this is an authentic motto?