In the past 800 years, rules have evolved to control the designs used on a coat of arms, as well as designs differentiating a family's descent from other armigerous families. One of the most intriguing rules is that metal on metal, gold and silver (Or & Argent in heraldic terms), is not allowed. As a life-long heraldist and one whose own family arms diverges from this ""sacred"" rule, Archbishop Heim researched hundreds of works, some dating from the 12th century, to find its origins. A classic, scholarly work, but one written with humor interspersed between the fascinating illustrations and facts.
