The coat of arms of the Transvaal was the official heraldic symbol of the

South African Republic The South African Republic (, abbreviated ZAR; ), also known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer republics, Boer republic in Southern Africa which existed from 1852 to 1902, when it was annexed into the British Empire as a result ...

from 1866 to 1877 and again from 1881 to 1902, and later the symbol of the

Transvaal Province The Province of Transvaal (), commonly referred to as the Transvaal (; ), was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994, when a new constitution subdivided it following the end of apartheid. The name "Transvaal" refers to the province's ...

from 1954 to 1994 in a simplified form. It is now obsolete.

History

The South African Republic was established in 1857. On 18 February 1858, the

Volksraad The Volksraad was a people's assembly or legislature in Dutch or Afrikaans speaking government. Assembly South Africa * Volksraad (South African Republic) (1840–1902) * Volksraad (Natalia Republic), a similar assembly that existed in the Natalia ...

(legislature) resolved that the new state should have the following coat of arms: The earliest known appearance of the arms was on banknotes issued in 1866.Engelbrecht, C.L. (1987). ''Money in South Africa'' The crudely drawn arms were depicted as a shield with a lion, an anchor, and a man in the upper half, an ox-wagon in the lower half, and the motto ' Eendragt maakt magt' (sic, cf. Flag of the SAR) on a riband across the top. This rendition also appeared on the ''Staatscourant'' (government gazette) from 1867. A better version, in which the shield was divided into sections, an eagle was perched on top, and three

flags A flag is a piece of 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 flags have ...

were draped down each side, first appeared on the postage stamps in 1869, and this became the preferred rendition. From 1871, this too appeared on the banknotes, and from 1872 it was on the masthead of the ''Staatscourant''. The arms were in abeyance during the British occupation of the Transvaal, from 1877 to 1881. Revived in 1881, they became obsolete again when the republic ceased to exist in 1902. In 1950, the Transvaal provincial administration decided to adopt the old arms as provincial arms and commissioned chief archivist Dr

Coenraad Beyers Dr Coenraad Beyers (1893–1975) was a South African historian, archivist, and herald A herald, or a herald of arms, is an officer of arms, ranking between pursuivant and king of arms. The title is commonly applied more broadly to ...

to investigate and report on the most suitable version.Beyers, C. (1950). 'Die Wapen van Die Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek' in ''Archives Year Book'' (1950) The arms were apparently introduced in 1954, and they were used until the province ceased to exist in 1994. Coat of Arms of the Transvaal Province

Blazon

The arms were recorded at the

College of Arms The College of Arms, or Heralds' College, is a royal corporation consisting of professional Officer of Arms, officers of arms, with jurisdiction over England, Wales, Northern Ireland and some Commonwealth realms. The heralds are appointed by the ...

in July 1955, and registered at the

Bureau of Heraldry The Bureau of Heraldry is the South African heraldic authority, established in Pretoria on 1 June 1963. It is headed by a State Herald (known unofficially as the National Herald since 2004) and its functions are to register arms, badges, flags ...

in October 1967. The official blazon is:Bureau of Heraldry
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* An oval shield per fess, the chief divided per pale; dexter Gules, a natural lion contourne couchant gardant Or; sinister Azure, a bearded man in national dress wearing a hat and bandolier, and holding in the left hand a gun resting upon the ground; in base Vert, a Voortrekker wagon proper; on an inescutcheon Argent an anchor Sable, cabled Gules. * Perched on the shield an eagle displayed Or. * Behind the shield and draped below on both sides three flags of the South African Republic, green, red, white and blue. * Motto: EENDRACHT MAAKT MAGT

References

Footnotes

Notations

* Beyers, C. (1950). 'Die Wapen van Die Suid-Afrikaanse Republiek' in ''Archives Year Book'' (1950) * Brownell, F.G. (1993). ''National and Provincial Symbols''. * Engelbrecht, C.L. (1987). ''Money in South Africa'' * Pama, C. (1965). ''Lions and Virgins''.

External links

South African Heraldry Website

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name ''Transvaal''. * South African Republic (1856–1902; ...