, ▁they ▁were ▁also ▁created ▁at ▁different ▁dates ▁for ▁cer emon ial ▁purposes . ▁ ▁W ages ▁The ▁College ▁is ▁almost ▁entirely ▁self - fin anced , ▁and ▁is ▁not ▁a ▁recip ient ▁of ▁any ▁regular ▁public ▁fund ing . ▁Its ▁officers ▁do ▁have ▁official ▁sal aries , ▁which ▁are ▁paid ▁for ▁by ▁the ▁Crown . ▁The ▁sal aries ▁of ▁the ▁officers ▁were ▁raised ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁King ▁James ▁I , ▁but ▁were ▁reduced ▁under ▁William ▁IV . ▁These ▁sal aries ▁per ▁an num ▁reflected ▁the ▁living ▁costs ▁of ▁the ▁day ; ▁however ▁today ▁the ▁amount ▁is ▁seen ▁only ▁as ▁nom inal ▁payment . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁their ▁official ▁duties , ▁the ▁her ald s ▁have ▁for ▁many ▁centuries ▁undert aken ▁private ▁practice ▁in ▁her ald ry ▁and ▁gene al ogy , ▁for ▁which ▁professional ▁fe es ▁are ▁charged . ▁ ▁Un iform s ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁recogn is able ▁item ▁of ▁the ▁her ald ' s ▁w ard ro be ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁their ▁tab ards . ▁Since ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁records ▁of ▁this ▁distinct ive ▁gar ment ▁were ▁apparent . ▁At ▁first ▁it ▁is ▁likely ▁that ▁the ▁her ald ▁wore ▁his ▁master ' s ▁cast - off ▁coat , ▁but ▁even ▁from ▁the ▁beginning ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁had ▁special ▁significance , ▁sign ifying ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁effect ▁his ▁master ' s ▁representative . ▁Es pecially ▁when ▁his ▁master ▁was ▁a ▁so ver eign ▁prince , ▁the ▁we aring ▁of ▁his ▁coat ▁would ▁haven ▁given ▁the