Attributed arms of the Kingdom of Mercia in the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy: Azure, a saltire or. The earliest surviving recorded use of these attributed arms is in a manuscript dating from the reign of King Henry III (1216-1272), namely College of Arms Ms. L.14. (Source: Wikipedia article w:Mercia). The arms were subsequently used by the Abbey of St Albans, founded by King Offa of Mercia. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 16th century and the incorporation of the Borough (town) of St Albans the coat of arms was used on the town's corporate seal and was officially recorded as the arms of the town at the Heraldic Visitation of 1634. (Source: wikipedia, quoting "Civic heraldry of England and Wales, www.civicheraldry.co.uk , http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/herts.html ) The attributed arms are today flown on a standard over Tamworth Castle, in Staffordshire, the ancient seat of the Mercian Kings and appears on street signs welcoming people to the town of Tamworth, styled "the ancient capital of Mercia". It was also flown outside Birmingham Council House during 2009 while the Staffordshire Hoard was on display in the city before being taken to the British Museum in London. The saltire has been incorporated into several coats of arms of Mercian towns, including Tamworth and Leek, both in Staffordshire and Blaby. It was recognised as the Mercian flag by the Flag Institute in 2014. ( https://www.flaginstitute.org/wp/flags/mercia/ )
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Lobsterthermidor (talk) 17:29, 3 November 2021 (UTC)