Nottinghamshire

County

The arms were officially granted on July 19, 1937.

The shield shows the natural features of the county. The wave is for River Trent and the oak tree for Sherwood Forest. The crest has a golden mural crown, symbolising local government. A garb rises from the crown, which is itself charged with a black shovel blade. These two charges represent agriculture and coal mining, the two traditional sources of employment in the county.

The dexter supporter is a black lion queue-fourcheé from the arms of the Dukes of Portland. The sinister supporter is a silver greyhound from the Duke of Northumberland’s arms. Members of these two families have provided Lords Lieutenant of the county. Both supporters are gorged with Saxon crowns, recalling the Saxon creation of Nottinghamshire in AD 918.

Nottingham

The arms were officially recognised by the College of Arms in 1614 but it is not known how long they had been in use. The crest was granted on June 10, 1898. On June 11, 1898 two forester supporters (Robin Hood) were agranted, which were replaced on November 3, 1908 by the present two stags.

The arms depict a rough, wooden cross in green rising out of the base of a red shield between two open crowns of gold with a similar crown around the lower limb of the cross.

The crest takes the form of a walled castle with three towers, all in their natural colours, standing upon a wreath of red and gold. The right hand tower bears a silver crescent and the left hand one a golden star. In heraldry, right and left are determined by the position of the bearer of the arms, not by the onlooker. Granted as a crest in 1898, it incorporates the design of the present City of Nottingham Seal, which has been in use since the 15^th century, but in the seal the crescent moon and star are shown above the towers, not on them.

The supporters of the shield are two royal stags, looking outwards and standing on rough broken branches. Each stag bears an open golden crown around its neck. Before the arms showed two foresters as supporters.

The motto means virtue outlives death.

1792 Nottinghamshire Nottingham Halfpenny Conder Token

Obverse: DONALD & CO STOCKING MANUFACTURERS WHOLESALE & RETAIL, surrounded by oval of leaves with: PROMISSORY HALFPENNY PAYABLE AT NOTTING’M OR. The second “O” in “PROMISSORY” has clearly been re-cut over an “A” to correct a spelling error.

Reverse: Bees swarming around a beehive within a circle of leaves with legend: No 29 BULL STREET BIRMINGHAM 1792

Edge: Plain

Donald & Co. were stocking manufacturers of Nottingham and Birmingham.

D&H Nottinghamshire No: 7. Diameter 28.4mm.