The current coat of arms of

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

was adopted after the by a decree of president Miguel García Granados. It consists of multiple symbols representing liberty and sovereignty on a

bleu celeste Bleu celeste (, "sky blue") is a rarely occurring and non-standard tincture (heraldry), tincture in heraldry (not being one of the seven main colours or metals or the three Stain (heraldry), ''staynard colours''). This tincture is sometimes a ...

shield. According to government specifications, the coat of arms should be depicted without the

shield A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...

only when on the

flag A flag is a piece of textile, fabric (most often rectangular) with distinctive colours and design. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design employed, and fla ...

, but the version lacking the shield is often used counter to these regulations.

History

In 1871, for the 50th anniversary of Guatemala gaining independence, president Miguel García Granados asked the mint to produce a design to commemorate the event. The

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

engraver Johann-Baptist Frener possibly designed the shield, and Granados decided to adopt it as the national coat of arms, abandoning the previous coat of arms which had

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

symbolism. In Executive Decree No. 33 of 18 November, the coat of arms was described:

The arms of the republic will be: a shield with two rifles and two swords crossed with a wreath of laurel on a field of light blue. The middle will harbor a scroll of parchment with the words "Liberty 15 of September of 1821" in gold and in the upper part a Quetzal as the symbol of national independence and autonomy.

The flag and coat of arms were further regulated in detail in a 12 September 1968 decree by the government of president Julio César Méndez Montenegro, specifying the elements, colors, and the specific shade of blue on the shield.

Symbolism

The elements of the coat of arms has the following symbolism: *The Resplendent quetzal is the

national bird This is a list of national birds, including official birds of overseas territories and other states described as nations. Most species in the list are officially designated. Some species hold only an "unofficial" status. The column is marked a ...

of Guatemala and represents freedom and independence of the nation. *The crossed Remington rifles are the type used during the 1871 Liberal Revolution and represent the will to defend Guatemala's interests. *The crossed swords represent justice and honor. *The

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath (attire), wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cher ...

represents victory. *The parchment at the center reads "LIBERTAD 15 DE SEPTIEMBRE DE 1821" (Liberty 15 of September of 1821), the date Guatemala gained independence from Spain.

Historical coats of arms

Escudo_de_las_Provincias_Unidas_del_Centro_de_América.svg, 1823–1838 (within

Central America Central America is a subregion of North America. Its political boundaries are defined as bordering Mexico to the north, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest. Central America is usually ...

) Coat_of_arms_of_Guatemala_(1825-1843).svg, 1825–1843 Coat_of_arms_of_Guatemala_(1843-1851).svg, 1843–1851 Coat of arms of guatemala (1851-1858).svg, 1851–1858 Coat of arms of Guatemala (1858-1871).svg, 1858–1871 Coat of arms of Guatemala (1871-1968).svg, 1871–1968 Coat of arms of Guatemala with background.svg, 1968–present

References

National symbols of Guatemala

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