[antir-heralds] period charge?

[Britt]

> Reading the blazon, I expected the roundel to be about the same size as
> the crescents (see http://www.badger.cx/heraldry/roll/display.php?id=206
> as an example),  making the three the primary charge group.  (I find the
> large roundel doesn't look 'right' to me, but perhaps someone more
> experienced can comment on that.

In the original device all the charges were the same size, so the top
groiup was 'in fess a roundel between an increscent and a decrescent'.
 In the redrawing the roundel is a primary between secondaries, so the
blazon should be 'a roundel between in fess an increscent and a
decrescent'.  The primary is always mentioned first and if the charges
are in the same group (the same general size) the arrangement comes
before the types. If it's a primary between secondaries the primary is
named, then the arrangement, then the secondaries. That's one of the
blazon clues to where the charge groups lie in the greater scheme of
things.

The old emblazon was 'Per fess sable and argent, in chief in fess a
roundel between an increscent and a decrescent and in base a mullet of
six points counterchanged.'  The new blazon is 'Argent, a roundel
between in fess an increscent and a decrescent and on a base sable a
mullet of six points argent.'

> I don't have time to check right now but I think I remember a precedent
> that allows the increscent and decrescent to be considered enough the
> same that it doesn't create slot machine armory.   I think the base
> would be a secondary charge as it's sitting right on the field and the
> mullet would be tertiary as it's a charge on a charge.

Right on the base as secondary, right on mullet as tertiary.
You don't need a precedent (though yes, there is one).  They're simply
different orientations of the same charge, a crescent.  A crescent
facing dexter is an increscent, facing sinister is a decrescent, and
inverted is pendant, but they're all just crescents.

There is a precedent on the 'phases of the moon' motif that disallows
them conjoined, and another that calls it modern, but acceptable,
style and allows it, as well.

- Teceangl