informal family crest; auxiliary crest
Archaic term for a secondary or informal family crest used in place of the formal one, often in less official settings.
In the Edo period, samurai sometimes used an informal family crest on casual occasions.
Standard spelling for an alternative or informal family crest.
Variant spelling; less common than 替え紋.
Variant spelling using 代 (substitute); may be encountered in historical contexts.
Compound of 替え (substitute) and 紋 (crest). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term refers to a secondary crest used in place of the main family crest.