Help identify this crest

[madmacs]

http://books.google.com/books?id=SsH...20wolf&f=false

Looks like it's likely to be mcqueen

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

You beat me to my copy of Fairburn's Crests, by an electronic whisper. Contrary to popularly held opinion, an armiger may display his crest within a strap and buckle, as with this Macqueen badge (as seen above), or within a circlet.

[Cygnus]

I'm a bit curious to know why nobody has mentioned that there is a difference between the description in Fairbain and the crest on the badge (aside from only one being gorged).

The reference says it is a "wolf's head couped" and shows one, while the badge is a wolf's head erased.

I apologize for the poor quality of these images, but they illustrate the difference between the two (using boars' heads in this case):

Couped

The head is cut off cleanly in a straight line.

Erased

The head appears to have been torn away.

Is this an important distinction?

[ThistleDown]

Yes, there is a significant difference, but the intricacies of that I will leave to our resident heraldic experts, Rathdown predominant among them. In the meanwhile, using the stag as an example instead of your wolf:

a stag's head erased (also called couped):


and a stag's head caboshed:



But on a more familial note, be cautious if you are attaching yourself to the wolf`s head as different from other crests to be found among the Macqueens. The wolf belongs to a particular -- and very small sept -- of the Macqueens of the Clanchattan resident at the upper end of Strathdearn. Unless you are claiming descendancy of that family, or are acknowledging some degree of dependancy on them, you might want to look to the broader Macsweens and Macqueens of the Western seaboard.

Cheers, Rex

[SlackerDrummer]

Yes, there is a significant difference, but the intricacies of that I will leave to our resident heraldic experts, Rathdown predominant among them. In the meanwhile, using the stag as an example instead of your wolf:

a stag's head erased (also called couped):


and a stag's head caboshed:



But on a more familial note, be cautious if you are attaching yourself to the wolf`s head as different from other crests to be found among the Macqueens. The wolf belongs to a particular -- and very small sept -- of the Macqueens of the Clanchattan resident at the upper end of Strathdearn. Unless you are claiming descendancy of that family, or are acknowledging some degree of dependancy on them, you might want to look to the broader Macsweens and Macqueens of the Western seaboard.

Cheers, Rex

Erased is when the head or limb has a jagged edge as if forcibly removed. Couped is when the head or limb has a straight edge as if cut off.

In English heraldry, heads that are couped or erased will have a little of the neck showing. In Scottish heraldry, heads are couped or erased close, meaning right behind the ears. This is perhaps most noticeable in boars' heads.

Caboshed (cabossed, caboched) is a head that has been removed from neck and is shown affronty (from the front).

What you have shown are a stag's head couped and a stag's head erased respectively. A stag's head caboshed would appear thus:

[ThistleDown]

Thank you, Kenneth, for the gentle correction.

[creagdhubh]

Are those vintage badges? I've been looking for a vintage Chattan or Macpherson badge for the longest time, but to no avail...yet. They look great.

Cheers,

[Stirling McQueen]

I would love to find a source for the MacQueen pins. I spent time in Scotland this summer but was told that they are not produced.

[Really a McQueen]

I would love to find a source for the MacQueen pins. I spent time in Scotland this summer but was told that they are not produced.

Well, as he indicated, Swanny's was passed down to him. Whereas, I found mine almost 30 years ago, in the shadows of Edinburgh castle. And I was hitting every kilt shop (and even some of the tat shops) that I could find, and found mine after several days of searching.

[Cygnus]

Swanny,

That's a good-looking pin - and it's great to have a fellow Swan on the forum! Welcome!