kimon;104819 wrote:

I don’t get this part. If you have arms, why wouldn’t you want to use them in every way you can. I don’t see it as incompatible with wanting a grant of the same arms or a matriculation.

I think the assumption is that you might be granted different arms, and wouldn’t care to replace all the bookplates, signet rings, engraved silver, etc. you already have.

Joseph McMillan;104820 wrote:

Me neither.  But then, I can’t see much point in an American citizen getting a grant of arms from a foreign state anyway.

Which is a wonderful view for the President of the American Heraldry Society to possess!

David Pope;104824 wrote:

I think the assumption is that you might be granted different arms, and wouldn’t care to replace all the bookplates, signet rings, engraved silver, etc. you already have.

kimon;104826 wrote:

considering the topic of the thread, the idea is that the college would grant the exact same arms     ...

kimon;104819 wrote:

I don’t get this part. If you have arms, why wouldn’t you want to use them in every way you can. I don’t see it as incompatible with wanting a grant of the same arms or a matriculation.

As I see it, the main reason to get a grant of arms, would be if I were to move to the UK, Canada or South Africa – countries with heraldic authorities, and where such a grant would be in accordance with tradition and also give at least some legal protection.

kimon;104819 wrote:

I don’t get this part. If you have arms, why wouldn’t you want to use them in every way you can. I don’t see it as incompatible with wanting a grant of the same arms or a matriculation.

Well, if someone is already surrounded by personalized items that they have invested in, I don’t think it’s worth having the arms possibly changed for the grant—even if the risk is small. In my opinion, the perceived value of one thing doesn’t outweigh the actual value of the other.

It might sound like I’m contradicting myself on the arms possibly being changed, but there are a lot of exceptions and circumstances out there to account for.

Joseph McMillan;104820 wrote:

Me neither.  But then, I can’t see much point in an American citizen getting a grant of arms from a foreign state anyway.

Right. If you tell an American, "How would you like to help endow an unfunded historic institution in another country (without a tax write-off) in exchange for a quasi-legal document protecting a right you already have and which has no standing in the US (or even in one of the states within the country that issued it)?", he would probably say no.

However, I’d say there are three reasons why someone with an interest in heraldry might do it: 1) They just want the Letters Patent as a souvenir/heirloom, 2) Maybe there is a real possibility that their descendants might immigrate to Australia, etc.—though I’m not suggesting many Australians care about this stuff, 3) They want their arms recognized by the VOSJ or whichever.

JJB;104858 wrote:

Well, if someone is already surrounded by personalized items that they have invested in, I don’t think it’s worth having the arms possibly changed for the grant—even if the risk is small. In my opinion, the perceived value of one thing doesn’t outweigh the actual value of the other.

It might sound like I’m contradicting myself on the arms possibly being changed, but there are a lot of exceptions and circumstances out there to account for.

See above:
kimon;104826 wrote:

considering the topic of the thread, the idea is that the college would grant the exact same arms

JJB;104859 wrote:

However, I’d say there are three reasons why someone with an interest in heraldry might do it: 1) They just want the Letters Patent as a souvenir/heirloom, 2) Maybe there is a real possibility that their descendants might immigrate to Australia, etc.—though I’m not suggesting many Australians care about this stuff, 3) They want their arms recognized by the VOSJ or whichever.

Jeff, we’re in basic agreement, but just to get a couple more licks in on the dead horse…

1.  For what an English grant costs, they could commission a very fine painting of the arms and 18K signet rings for each of their 1.86 children and still have several thousand dollars left over for the college fund.

2.  If their descendants migrate to England itself, they can always get a grant of arms then.

3.  Well, yeah, but then the VOSJ is another thing I don’t quite get.  No offense to those who belong, I just don’t understand the appeal.