(last updated on September 1, 2001)
Registering Arms in South Africa
The South African (SA) Bureau of Heraldry is currently the least expensive official heraldic authority with which you may register a coat of arms...It is also the most egalitarian: anyone may apply to the State Herald for the registration of Arms, regardless of nationality, race, gender, religion, etc...He will not, however, allow posthumous registrations, and the Arms must, of course, be heraldically correct and not infringe on any other registered Arms.
Click here to search the South African Heraldic Register online.
(Note:..The online records are current through 1999.)
The Universal Currency Converter
Comparison of Fees for a Grant of Arms
(Click on authority to see sample of document.)
College of Arms:..2,925 GBP = $4204 USD (as of 23 April 2001)
Court of the Lord Lyon:..1,225 GBP = $1761 USD (as of 23 April 2001)
Chief Herald of Ireland:..2,200 IEP = $2502 USD (as of 23 April 2001)
Canadian Heraldic Authority:..1,500 CAD = $970 USD (as of 23 April 2001)
Cronista de Armas:..$700 USD (as of 23 April 2001)
SA Bureau of Heraldry:..1,650 ZAR = $203 USD (as of 23 April 2001) - See bottom of page for additional examples.
NOTE:..These are base amounts for a grant (Spanish "certification", South African "registration") of new Arms...The first four authorities make provision for extra artwork, which will result in higher fees...For example, a standard Canadian grant with nice artwork will average 3000 CAD...The base fee for a Scottish matriculation of existing Arms is 430 GPB, though the actual cost is usually higher.
The SA Bureau of Heraldry will also register a badge or flag (e.g. standard) for an additional fee of 910 SA Rand...If you register a flag that contains a badge, it is NOT necessary to register the badge separately; only one 910 SA Rand fee need be paid. Registration of Arms AND badge (or standard) will result in receiving TWO certificates.
The SA Bureau of Heraldry does not have an official website, but the following site contains helpful information about this official heraldic authority, including a full fee schedule:
South African Bureau of Heraldry
Here is an article by the current South African State Herald, Frederick Brownell:
HOW TO APPLY...
You will need to send:
1)..A signed application...(Click here for the application form, which you can print out and complete).
2)..A copy of your birth certificate.
3)..A drawing of your requested heraldic representation...If you do not have a design prepared, the Heraldry Bureau will work with you to come up with one.
4)..A foreign bank draft made out to THE STATE HERALD OF SOUTH AFRICA in SA Rand for 1650 ZAR (or 2560 ZAR if also registering a badge or standard), drawn on a SA commercial bank...Exchange rates will probably be best at your local bank, but you may also purchase a foreign draft without leaving home by calling Ruesch International at 800-424-2923, or contacting an online foreign draft service - e.g., World's Money Exchange, Inc...International money orders available from the U.S. Postal Service should not be used, because they are not payable through a local SA bank...The Bureau of Heraldry does not accept wired funds or charge cards.
We recommend that you use an ordinary business envelope and send it via standard airmail to the State Herald's "Private Bag" address...You can use postal Express Mail, but this will cost more and experience has shown that it will not result in your package being delivered any faster...Indeed, it may actually slow down delivery by appearing to be something "special".
Please note that the SA postal service is not always reliable and they WILL NOT deliver mail to the State Herald's physical address at the National Archive Building...Delivery time could be from one to eight weeks, and it is essential that you list the contents of the envelope on the customs declaration as "business papers" with "no commercial value", lest it be held up by SA Customs...DO NOT indicate the value of the enclosed international draft as the value of the package...If the draft is lost in the mail, you can place a stop payment through your bank and the bank will reimburse you for the amount of the draft...You will, however, probably be out the cost of the stop payment order (usually around $20 in the U.S.)...Ask the bank for details when you purchase the draft.
For a much higher cost than ordinary airmail, you could choose to use an overnight express mail carrier (e.g., UPS)...They will deliver your package directly to the Heraldry Bureau's physical address, thus bypassing the SA postal service and reducing delivery time dramatically...However, the package will still need to pass through customs where it could be delayed if a value above $0 has been indicated.
It is suggested that you enclose your fax number (if you have one) with your application, since the State Herald has been known to fax applicants upon receipt of the application...This is not essential, however, and you will also receive a receipt by mail.
You may contact the Heraldry Bureau by:
Mail:....The State Herald
..............Private Bag X236
..............Pretoria 0001
..............South Africa
Telephone:....011-27-12-323-5300......(Call during daytime business hours.)
NOTE: 011 is the International Access Code for dialing abroad from the U.S., 27 is the country code for SA, 12 is the Pretoria city code.
FAX:....011-27-12-323-5287......(You may FAX the Bureau of Heraldry anytime.)
E-mail:.... arg13@dacst4.pwv.gov.za
(Note:..This E-mail address does not reach the Heraldry Bureau directly, but passes through the National Archives located in the same building...Do not expect an immediate response.)
SOUTH AFRICAN BUREAU OF HERALDRY STAFF:
State Herald: Frederick G. Brownell
Assistant State Herald & Heraldic Artist: Marcel van Rossum
State Herald's Secretary: Mrs. L. Kruger
WHAT YOU WILL RECEIVE:
Here is how David Pritchard, a recipient of a South African Certificate of Arms, describes the document:
'The certificate is 26 1/2" high X 16 1/4" wide...Around the entire certificate is a preprinted black border with an inner narrower border in gold...At the top of the document is the full arms of the Republic of South Africa in colour...Below the arms printed in bold black letters are the words "BUREAU OF HERALDRY"...Below the bold letters are a depiction of the arms drawn by an artist...Below the arms is the blazon in black calligraphy...Below the blazon are the following words "This is to certify that arms as blazoned and illustrated above have been registered in terms of the heraldry act for" with the name of the registrant in large bold red letters...The name and phrase are also in calligraphy, uncial is the letterform used...Below this is the raised seal of the Bureau of Heraldry on an applied maroon rayonne roundel on a larger printed gold roundel...To the left of the seal is the signature of the State Herald with his title below; followed by "PRETORIA"; below this "DATE" with the actual date in black calligraphy...To the right of the seal is the signature of the Chairman of the Heraldry Council with his title printed below; followed by the certificate number in black calligraphy.'
NOTE:..Although South Africa has a new national coat of arms, the State Herald will continue to use his supply of existing certificate forms bearing the original, more traditional South African coat of arms...This supply will probably not be exhausted for a number of years.
STATUS:
Arms placed on record with the SA Heraldry Bureau are officially termed "registrations"...However, the State Herald has referred to registrations as "grants", and they are, for all intents and purposes, accepted as such...Registrations are protected under SA law, and the use by an individual or organization of Arms registered to someone else can result in prosecution (within South Africa).
David Pritchard reports that Arms registered in South Africa are accepted by the Lord Lyon for matriculation in Scotland (whereas "honorary" grants to Americans by the College of Arms are not).
TIMELINE:
As with the other official offices of Arms (College of Arms, Court of the Lord Lyon, etc.), the time from application to receipt of the document probably averages one year...Notice of the proposed registration of Arms is published in the official South African newspaper, "The Government Gazette", twice...once to allow 30 days for objections to be lodged, then again to confirm the registration...The document is then prepared and mailed to the applicant...If you have already chosen a design for your Arms before applying, the process is naturally shorter than if you are starting on the design from scratch.
The following letters where received from the South African State Herald and they chronicle the application and registration process initiated by Steven B. Madewell on behalf of his uncle, Joe L. Casey:
Letter 18 AUG 2000 - Receipt of Payment
Letter 18 AUG 2000 - Receipt of Application & Suggested Change (page 1)......(page 2)
Letter 4 OCT 2000 - Application Request Published in the Government Gazette
Letter 30 OCT 2000 - Registration Published in the Government Gazette
Envelope (front & back) - 11 DEC 2000
Letter 11 DEC 2000 - Certificates of Registration will be prepared ASAP
Letter 2 APR 2001- Certificates of Registration Completed & Enroute
Certificates of Registration received via snail mail - 17 APR 2001
Certificate - Casey coat of arms (large)
Certificate - Casey coat of arms (small)
Certificate - Casey standard (large)
Certificate - Casey standard (small)
NOTE: ..The certificates were rolled, wrapped in plastic, and arrived in a mailing tube.
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| Database: | Data of the Bureau of Heraldry on registered heraldic representations |
