What are Common Charges?

What are Common Charges?

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Common Charges in heraldry would be the objects often found on the shield or in coats of arms. So with lions, for example, the lion passant guardant found in the Royal Arms of England are familiar to most people from their football shirts. And also geometrical shapes, these often take the shape of horizontal, vertical or diagonal stripes, and they are very, very common charges in heraldry.