Heraldic imagery uses the key to signify knowledge, or Saint Peter (derived from God’s gift of the keys of heaven). One of the most famous crests to use this symbolic representation is the Papal Seal.
Some common examples from European Heraldry (all are coats of arms of particular regions, attributed to specific aristocracy):
The use of the word “key” is pervasive in linguistic references, being roughly adapted to mean generically “something that affords means of access”.
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