Hi WSPers We were talking about coat of arms awhile back. My friend photocopied the introduction of "Heraldry, Customs Rules and Styles" by Carl-Alexander von Volborth (1981). The reference that I sought could be enhanced by the reading of von Volborth's book. But at any rate: "Originally a means of identification for the warrior class, the heraldic shield came to be used on the seals needed to authenticate documents, and the practice of using armorial devices as cognizances soon spread to burghers, municipal governments, craft guilds and the Church. Gradually the arms became hereditary and it became the custom to display armorial bearings. After their disappearance from the battlefield, they lived on, deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of European society. "Unfortunately there are individuals and firms who prey on the vanity of people desiring a coat of arms. They compile lists of family names, find arms that seem to go with the name and try to sell the arms to a customer, who then genuinely believes that these are the arms to which he is entitled. "Sincere there is no such thing as 'arms of a family name', it should be obvious that such an offer is fraudulent." Evidently the heraldry changes, albeit slightly, with each individual within that family and would change from generation to generation. One thing these photocopies speak of, and something that puzzled me from reading about *a* Whaley coat of arms was the word argent, which is a tincture that is white. Or is yellow. Gules is red. Azure is blue. Sable is black, Vert is green. Purpure is purple. Descriptions of Ordinaries and Subordinaries (symmetrical marks) are interesting. One thing I do not have is how the shield changed -- or could change -- from one family member to another, as my buddy only photocopied the pix and intro. For those truly captivated by the subject, a trip to the library may be in order! Sue J.