Hi Terry, There is nothing wrong in displaying the 'Crest & Motto' on a website for example as long as it is made clear whom the 'Crest & Motto' belongs to. It is always courteous to ask the owner of the crest & motto but this is not always possible.

The taboo bit is to give any indication that it is your crest & motto, or the family crest or motto. The same would apply to the whole achievement. One could display the whole Achievement (coat of arms) on a website but should again make clear who the arms belong to.

Let me give a better example perhaps; Lets say your name is 'Terry MacDonald' you quite innocently purchase a plaque with a coat of arms on it and stick it on the wall in your home and underneath it says MacDonald.

This could suggest that you are making a claim that these arms are yours, or suggesting these are your family coat of arms (Shriek). It does not tell the person looking at them who the arms belong to.

So lets say the arms you have stuck on your wall are that of the Chief of Clan MacDonald. The plaque underneath the COA should read "The Arms of G. J. MacDonald of MacDonald, Chief of Clan MacDonald".

To err on the safe side it is always better to just display the 'crest' in a strap & buckle with the motto round the outside. The whole achievement, or shield should never be displayed in a strap and buckle which, I have also seen done.