Collar of SS
Preserved but no longer current.
A decoration restricted to the Lord Chief Justice, the Lord Mayor of London, the Kings-of-Arms, the Heralds, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Sergeant Trum- peter. It is composed of a series of golden S's joined together, and was originally the badge of the adherents of the House of Lancaster.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Collar of SS” mean?
A decoration restricted to the Lord Chief Justice, the Lord Mayor of London, the Kings-of-Arms, the Heralds, the Sergeant-at-Arms, and the Sergeant Trum- peter. It is composed of a series of golden S's joined together, and was originally the badge of the adherents of the House of Lancaster.
Is “Collar of SS” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.