Heraldic designs came into general use among European nobility in the 12th century. Systematic, heritable heraldry had developed by the … See more

The Vatican City State and the Holy See each have their own coat of arms. As the papacy is not hereditary, its occupants display their personal arms combined with those of their office. Some popes came from armigerous (noble) families; others adopted coats of … See more

Japanese emblems, called kamon (often abbreviated "mon"), are family badges which often date back to the 7th century, and are used in … See more

French heraldry
The French system of heraldry greatly influenced the British and Western European systems. Much of the terminology and … See more

Flags are used to identify ships (where they are called ensigns), embassies and such, and they use the same colors and designs found in heraldry, but they are not usually considered to … See more

Among the states ruled by communist regimes, emblems resembling those of the Soviet states were adopted in all the Warsaw Pact states … See more

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