Arms, coat of arms, crest, family crest… Whats the difference?
Arms are really what most people refer to, even when using the other terms. Arms consist of a shield with various charges (divisions, colors and pictures). In extension, full arms may include a.o. a helmet on top of the shield, usually with mantling, supporters that hold the shield, and a motto. A coat-of-arms technically refers to the cloth covering worn by knights over their armor to display their arms. The crest is the piece found on top of the helmet, which may or may not reflect an element depicted on the shield. Family crest is somewhat of a misnomer, like family arms or family coat of arms. It simply refers to the crest, but the notion is that the arms, and hence the crest, can be claimed by all members of the family. This, however, is true only for certain countries.
