BADGE

Description:
Issuant from a crest coronet Or a stag’s head (affrontee) Proper attired with 10 tines Or.

What's all that mean?
A stag's head faces the observer (affrontee).  The stag is in its natural colors (proper) and has antlers (attired), and the antlers have 10 branches (tines).  The stag is emerging (issuant) from a crest coronet of gold (or).  There are several types of crowns or coronets.  A crest coronet  has four strawberry leaves, three visible.  

Badge or Crest?
Many people are confused by “badge” and “crest”. They are similar as they both contain the clan symbols. The Gordon crest has ivy around it; it is properly called the Chief’s crest and is used by the Chief only. The Chief's crest does not have a belt around it.

Putting a belt around it makes it the “chief’s crest belted” which is commonly called the clansman’s badge. Scottish heraldry allows the clansman to wear their chief’s crest belted. This allows the clansman to be identified as a clan member but not confused with the Chief.

Okay, so why does the Gordon Highlanders cap badge have the crest (ivy and to used only by the Chief)? Shouldn’t they wear the badge instead? Look close, the Gordon Highlanders cap badge is differentiated by having 12 tines on the stag’s head instead of 10. It was authorized by the Clan Chief. Trivia is a wonderful thing.

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