Annulet cadency mark

A plain ring marking a fifth son.

Also known as: Fifth son cadency mark, Cadency ring

HeraldicHistorical & archaeologicalStandard profile

Meanings

In English cadency an annulet, a plain ring, marks the arms of a fifth son and his descendants.

Historically documentedVerified fact
Marks the arms of a fifth son within the English cadency system.
Contexts: History
Historically documentedVerified fact
Doubles as an ordinary charge in its own right, so an annulet on arms is a cadency mark only where its size and position say so.
Contexts: History

A plain unadorned ring, drawn as a circle with an open centre.

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Historical originHigh confidence: High confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.

The College of Arms
College of Arms, London · retrieved 2026-08-20
The heraldic authority for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and for much of the Commonwealth. Authoritative for those jurisdictions only; Scottish practice differs and is governed separately.
Charge (heraldry)
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-08-20
Tertiary reference. Cited for the blazon term, the conventional form of a charge and uncontested historical detail. Never cited for a claim that a charge carries a fixed symbolic meaning.
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies (1909), via Project Gutenberg · retrieved 2026-08-20
The standard English-language reference, and a period one: published 1909, so it states Edwardian English practice as though universal and is occasionally sharp about continental usage. Cited for blazon terminology, the conventional depiction of charges, and — notably — for its own detailed refutation of tincture symbolism.

Last reviewed 2026-08-24

Meanings

In English cadency an annulet, a plain ring, marks the arms of a fifth son and his descendants.

Historically documentedVerified fact

Marks the arms of a fifth son within the English cadency system.

Contexts: History

Historically documentedVerified fact

Doubles as an ordinary charge in its own right, so an annulet on arms is a cadency mark only where its size and position say so.

Contexts: History

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Historical originHigh confidence: High confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is documented in encyclopedic references, but multiple independent sources agree.

Sources

The College of Arms
College of Arms, London · retrieved 2026-08-20
The heraldic authority for England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and for much of the Commonwealth. Authoritative for those jurisdictions only; Scottish practice differs and is governed separately.
Charge (heraldry)
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-08-20
Tertiary reference. Cited for the blazon term, the conventional form of a charge and uncontested historical detail. Never cited for a claim that a charge carries a fixed symbolic meaning.
A Complete Guide to Heraldry
Arthur Charles Fox-Davies (1909), via Project Gutenberg · retrieved 2026-08-20
The standard English-language reference, and a period one: published 1909, so it states Edwardian English practice as though universal and is occasionally sharp about continental usage. Cited for blazon terminology, the conventional depiction of charges, and — notably — for its own detailed refutation of tincture symbolism.

Last reviewed 2026-08-24