▁the ▁cr est . ▁The ▁use ▁of ▁multiple ▁cr ests ▁is ▁also ▁common . ▁The ▁cr est ▁is ▁rarely ▁used ▁separately ▁as ▁in ▁British ▁her ald ry , ▁but ▁can ▁sometimes ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁mark ▁of ▁difference ▁between ▁different ▁branches ▁of ▁a ▁family . ▁Tor se ▁is ▁optional . ▁Her ald ic ▁cour to isie ▁is ▁observed : ▁that ▁is , ▁charges ▁in ▁a ▁composite ▁shield ▁( or ▁two ▁shield s ▁displayed ▁together ) ▁usually ▁turn ▁to ▁face ▁the ▁centre . ▁ ▁Co ats ▁consisting ▁only ▁of ▁a ▁divided ▁field ▁are ▁somewhat ▁more ▁frequent ▁in ▁Germany ▁than ▁elsewhere . ▁ ▁Dutch ▁her ald ry ▁ ▁The ▁Low ▁Count ries ▁were ▁great ▁cent res ▁of ▁her ald ry ▁in ▁medieval ▁times . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁famous ▁arm orial s ▁is ▁the ▁Gel re ▁Arm orial ▁or ▁W ap en bo ek , ▁written ▁between ▁ 1 3 7 0 ▁and ▁ 1 4 1 4 . ▁Co ats ▁of ▁arms ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁were ▁not ▁controlled ▁by ▁an ▁official ▁her ald ic ▁system ▁like ▁the ▁two ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁nor ▁were ▁they ▁used ▁sole ly ▁by ▁noble ▁families . ▁Any ▁person ▁could ▁develop ▁and ▁use ▁a ▁coat ▁of ▁arms ▁if ▁they ▁wished ▁to ▁do ▁so , ▁provided ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁us ur p ▁someone ▁else ' s ▁arms , ▁and ▁histor ically , ▁this ▁right ▁was ▁en sh r ined ▁in ▁Roman ▁Dutch ▁law . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁many ▁merchant ▁families ▁had ▁co ats ▁of ▁arms ▁even ▁though ▁they ▁were ▁not