Getting a COA registered

[Cygnus]

According to whom?

You can find a great number of books and articles on the subject; I've found the Heraldry Society of Scotland to be a great source of information.

As for why substantive arms are preferred, that depends quite a lot on who you are, your intentions for the arms, and where you live.

If you live in Scotland, substantive arms are better because the use of self-assumed arms is illegal and can lead to a fine and the confiscation of any property bearing said arms.

Also, arms registered with a government body are generally the legal property of the bearer and, in Scotland and South Africa at least, the fees of matriculation also cover the legal defense of the use of the arms.

Added to that is the question of tradition and the correct adherence to the laws of arms (which vary from country to country). Arms granted by and registered with an organization whose history goes back over 1,500 years mean a lot more to me than arms granted by a group of pseudo-armigers that have formed an ad-hoc organization only in the past century.

I have nothing against heraldic organizations in the USA, Spain, and elsewhere that strive to keep the use of heraldry alive when their governments have no official heraldic authority for civilian arms. But if given the choice, I would take the substantive arms over a document from such an organization for the reasons listed above.


So, if you want a coat of arms just for a bit of fun, don't care if others use them, and aren't worried about the correctness of the arms or the ancient heraldic traditions of your ancestors, go ahead and make up your own arms and emblazon them wherever you'd like (so long as it's not in Scotland). If this is the case, I honestly wouldn't bother registering them with anyone unless you're interested in getting in touch with others that have assumed arms.

For those that are interested in substantive arms but that don't have a documented genealogical connection to Scotland or another country that would grant arms to the foreign descendants of its citizens, the Bureau of Heraldry of South Africa will generally be able to accommodate you.