Heraldry has been defined as the art of blazoning, assigning, and marshalling a coat of arms. The word "Heraldry" is derived from the German "heer" — a host, an army — and "held" — a champion. The term "blason," by which the science of heraldry is denoted in French, English, Italian, and German, is probably derived from the German word "blazen" = to blow the horn. Whenever a new Knight appeared at a tournament, the herald sounded the trumpet, and as the competitors attended with closed visors, it was his duty to explain the bearing of the shield or coat-armour belonging to each. This knowledge of the various devices and symbols was called Heraldry, and as the announcement was accompanied with the sound of a trumpet, it was termed "blazoning the arms" (source : J-B Burke, "the General Armory")
The Coat of Arms of the City of Crest
In the 10th Century, a wealthy and powerful family, the Arnauds, settled in the region and had their castle built close to the Roman tower. The walls delimited a little city which was called "Crista Arnaldorum" (Crête des Arnaud) and later Crest Arnaud.
The only still existing example in Crest bears the date of 1530. In the old days, it was embedded in the corner of the old schools house, rue des Ecoles.
The Coat of Arms of the Poitiers
The "Porte St André" still remains. It was also known as "Porte des Ecus du Diable" from the coat of arms of the Poitiers : "d’azur à six besants d’argent, trois, deux, et un, au chef d’or". (Blue with six silver besants, -three, two and one, with a golden chief). Those were inlaid above, inside and outside of the Porte St André. The ones inside seem to have disappeared recently and the ones outside have been destroyed. There are unfortunately no other examples.
The Coat of Arms of the Princes of Monaco
The Arms of the Dauphiné united to France
They are carved in a very fine and hard white stone, surrounded by both the ribbons of St Michel and the Holy Ghost and topped by the Royal Crown. They were on a house which used to stand on the former "Place de l’Ancien Hôpital" commonly called "Place aux Blés", nowadays "Place Frédéric Mistral". In 1860, these Arms were embedded in the mantelpiece of the fireplace in a painter’s workshop converted into a private house library.
Those are the Arms which were always used by the French Dauphins.