[MR] A random heraldic question

[Evan da Collaureo]

Scripsit Santiago Ruiz de Zaragoza:
>  This question crosses two of my interests: heraldry and the 
> webministry. Here's the question: is it possible to have an augmentation 
> of arms without an award of arms? I can't imagine why any monarch would 
> want to do it in that order, but there are a great many things in this 
> world I don't understand.
> 
> I ask this mostly for the purpose of listing personal awards by 
> precedence. My understanding of an augmentation of arms is that it would 
> be non-armigerous, but it would seem to presuppose at least an award of 
> arms.

>From the standpoint of how the list of precedence is set up, it is
certainly possible to set it up such that an augmentation of arms does
not require an award/grant/patent of arms as a prerequisite. To some
extent that would actually be simpler, and if memory serves correctly
that is indeed the way the Atlantian list is done.

One certainly could set it up such that there was a prerequisite of
"AoA or higher" before an augmentation could be done, but I don't think
we actually *have* set it up that way.

I can imagine scenarios where Their Majesties would give out an
augmentation of arms to a non-armiger without also giving that gentle
at least an Award of Arms; they generally involve the giving out of
augmentations to each member of a large group of people, such as was done
at Pennsic last month. Usually there just isn't *time* to go through
each gentle's record in such circumstances.

I hope this has helped bring more order (as opposed to more chaos) to
your thoughts on this topic. I remain yours in service,

Evan da Collaureo
Sackbut Herald