Armorial bearings, or coats of arms, take us back to the glamour of the middle ages. In days of old, knights displayed heraldic devices on their horses' caparisons, their servants' liveries, and on their banners and shields. As war medals are awarded today, so coats' of arms and other heraldic devices could be awarded to knights for their service in battle. But the primary role of coats' of arms was identification in battle