Medals (heraldry)

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Coat of arms with four medals

Orders are used in heraldry as gems . To do this , one or more medals are hung around the coat of arms in such a way that the chain or ribbon is clearly visible up to the medal. It can be attached to the helmet neck or to the shield using a chain. The order decoration then hangs below the coat of arms . The medals used belong to the house or court orders . If several medals are used as gems, these are hung so that the highest award is hung the lowest. This coat of arms embellishment emerged from the 14th century. With the advent of the Order of Merit in the 19th century, this ornament increased in the noble coat of arms . Popular orders and decorations in heraldry were and are: Order of the Garter , Order of the Golden Fleece , various orders of eagles and lions and others.

literature

  • Vaclav Vok Filip: Introduction to heraldry (= historical basic sciences in individual representations. Vol. 3). Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-515-07559-3 , p. 89.