As A Display of Rank
If the bearer of a coat of arms has the title of baron or higher (or hereditary knight in some countries), he or she may display a coronet of rank above the shield, usually below the helm in British heraldry, often above the crest (if any) in Continental heraldry.
In this case the appearance of the crown follows a strict set of rules. A royal coat of arms may display a royal crown such as that of Norway. Princely coats of arms display a princely crown and so on right down to the mural crown which is commonly displayed on coats of arms of towns and some republics. These forms of crowns are often inspired by the actual appearance of the respective country's royal and princely crowns.
Ships and other units of some navies have a naval crown above the shield of their coats of arms.
Read more about this topic: Crown (heraldry)
Famous quotes containing the words display and/or rank:
“You gave him an opportunity to display greatness of character, and he let it slip away. For that he will never forgive you.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)
“I have not loved the world, nor the world me;
I have not flatter’d its rank breath, nor bow’d
To its idolatries a patient knee.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)