Helmet crown

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Example of a helmet crown in a full coat of arms ( von Zabern )

The helmet crown , also called leaf or leaf crown , foliage or flower crown , has served as the coronation of the coat of arms helmets since the 13th century as a mark of the nobility .

The helmet crown is a crown located on the coat of arms helmets, which serves to connect the helmet and the helmet gem . Originally it was only entitled to the coat of arms of the nobility and had to be specially awarded. It consists of five visible prongs, the middle and the two outer ones of which are leaf-like. The other two points often each have a pearl. The crown of the helmet must not be confused with the crown of rank , because in contrast to this, the crown of the helmet cannot stand alone with the coat of arms .

Pattern of a helmet crown

Originally it was a royal and prince's crown, which the nobility then claimed for themselves. In the 14./15. In the 19th century, however, the helmet crown also appeared in various patrician families and was led by them unchallenged. Although it was actually a characteristic of the nobility, the strict equation helmet crown = nobility is therefore not correct in this exclusivity. Since the end of the 16th century at the latest, some court counts have issued all coats of arms for commoners with this nobility attribute.

In fact, the use of this so-called “aristocratic attribute” did not refer solely to the nobility, but actually to the ability to compete in tournaments ; the post office should even be excluded from the leadership. Only knights were eligible for tournaments, i.e. entitled to carry weapons and to play a tournament , but not all of them had to be of noble origin.