The Chinese Armorial

Links

Heraldic Authorities:
Listed in order of their foundation:

College of Arms (England, 1484)

Court of the Lord Lyon (Scotland, 1592)

Chief Herald of Ireland (1943)

Bureau of Heraldry (South Africa, 1963). The South African Bureau of Heraldry will register coats of arms for individuals and corporations of any country or citizenship.

Flemish Heraldic Council (Vlaamse Heraldische Raad, 1984). Established as part of the Royal Commission of Monuments and Sites by the Flemish Government in Belgium. It originally granted arms only to municipalities in the Flemish Region, but since 2000, has granted coats of arms to Flemish individuals and corporations.

Canadian Heraldic Authority (1988). The Canadian Heraldic Authority will grant coats of arms to Canadian citizens and corporations, government organizations, and the military.

 

Private Heraldic Registries:

These are not heraldic authorities but are organizations that will register and publish your coat of arms. Some can assist in designing your coat of arms or obtaining an artist to draw or paint it. Most are not-for-profit organizations, except the International Register of Arms, which is a for-profit company.

American College of Heraldry: registers coats of arms and maintains and publishes a roll of arms called The Heraldic Register of America, which is published in volumes. ACH was established in 1972 and is the longest continuously-operating American heraldry society (However, the New England Historic Genealogical Society has a Committee on Heraldry that has functioned continuously since 1864: see below).

Armorial Register - International Register of Arms: formerly known as Burke's Peerage and Gentry International Register of Arms until September 2011, when the International Register of Arms ended the contract to use the Burke's name. This is a for-profit company that maintains an online roll of arms and publishes armorial books as it accumulates enough coats of arms for a volume.

New England Historic Genealogical Society has a Committee on Heraldry, which curiously does not have a website or webpage. The Committee on Heraldry maintains and publishes a roll of arms. It generally registers arms dating back before February 10, 1917, but it will register contemporary arms, including assumed ones.

Russian College of Arms: also known as Collegium Heraldicum Russiae (CHR). Re-established in 1991 under the patronage of His Imperial Highness Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich, Head of the Imperial House of Romanov, and incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1995. It is non-governmental organization.

 

Heraldry Associations and Societies:

American College of Heraldry. The ACH also registers coats of arms and maintains and publishes a roll of arms called The Heraldic Register of America.

American Heraldry Society

Heraldry Society (U.K.)

Heraldry Society of Scotland

Royal Heraldry Society of Canada

 

Artists:

Laurent Granier (French site), (English site): heraldic artist in France who has painted the coats of arms of people of different countries, nationalities, and cultures. He also designs new coats of arms.

Tina Olah: Her main site is here, but she also has a public Facebook page. Unlike most heraldic artists, Ms. Olah does not paint in gouache, but rather, uses Photoshop to create graphics files that can be sent to computer printers and online photography stores and posted on Facebook and websites. Heraldry for the 21st century.

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