The coat of arms of Serbia and Montenegro consisted of a shield with the Serbian eagle (a white double-headed eagle adopted from the

Nemanjić dynasty The House of Nemanjić ( sr-Cyrl, Немањић, Немањићи; Nemanjić, Nemanjići, ) was the most prominent dynasty of Serbia in the Middle Ages. This princely, royal, and later imperial house produced twelve Serbian monarchs, who rul ...

) and the shield with a quartering the Serbian cross (or cross with

firesteel A fire striker is a piece of carbon steel from which sparks are struck by the sharp edge of flint, chert or similar rock. It is a specific tool used in fire making. History In early times, percussion fire making was often used to start fir ...

s) and the Montenegrin lion passant. This emblem had served as the national symbol of the

State Union of Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Y ...

(known as the

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...

until 2003).

Official status

The

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

was officially adopted by the

federal parliament The Parliament of Australia (officially the Federal Parliament, also called the Commonwealth Parliament) is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch (represented by the governor-gen ...

in 1993. It replaced the

coat of arms of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The emblem of Yugoslavia featured six torches, surrounded by wheat with a red star at its top, and burning together in one flame; this represented the brotherhood and unity of the six federal republics forming Yugoslavia: Bosnia and Herzegovina, ...

which had remained as the coat of arms of the newly-established

from 1992 to 1993. Usage of the arms was discontinued in 2006, after the

dissolution Dissolution may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books * ''Dissolution'' (''Forgotten Realms'' novel), a 2002 fantasy novel by Richard Lee Byers * ''Dissolution'' (Sansom novel), a 2003 historical novel by C. J. Sansom Music * Dissolution, in mu ...

of the

Usage as the coat of arms of Serbia and Montenegro

The legal acts which reconstituted the

into the

stipulated that a law was to be passed by the end of 2003 specifying the Union's coat of arms and anthem. Such a law was never brought forward, and unlike with the national flag and state anthem, no notable proposals for a new coat of arms were ever put forward. Thus the State Union continued to use the Yugoslav arms by inertia until its dissolution in June 2006.

Heraldic description

Gules, a Two-headed eagle Argent, en surtout an inescutcheon, quarterly 1 and 4 a lion passant Or (Montenegro) and 2 and 3, a cross between four fire steels Argent. (Serbia)

Origins of coat of arms

The coat of arms was designed after the breakup of the former

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...

, to symbolise the new union consisting only of Serbia and Montenegro. Its design thus features the traditional heraldical elements connected historically with both countries. Throughout history, the arms of both Montenegro and Serbia have featured a double-headed eagle, usually silver, on a shield, usually red, bearing on their chests usually a red shield, which in Montenegro's case contained a golden lion while in Serbia's a cross with four

s, usually silver. Thus the arms of FR Yugoslavia were designed by combining these elements: the eagle is the symbol common to both countries, symbolizing their unity, the lions represent Montenegro and crosses with firesteels, Serbia. The red shield in the middle was divided into 4 parts, although the federation consisted of 2 federal units. This was done with the intention to accommodate any possible further expansion of the federation. The coat of arms was initially proposed by Dr. A. Palavestra in 1992."Znamenja naseg identiteta", izlozba radova clanova Srpskog heraldickog drustva, Bijeljina, 1994. The final, adopted version followed the same blason as the original proposal but differed in graphical style.

Emblems of the Yugoslav Republics/Serbian-Montenegrin Union

Coat of arms of Serbia (1947–2004).svg, Coat of arms of Serbia
(1947–2004) Coat_of_arms_of_Serbia_small_(2004_-_2010).svg, Coat of arms of Serbia
(2004–2010) Coat_of_Arms_of_the_Socialist_Republic_of_Montenegro.svg, Coat of arms of Montenegro
(1974–1993) Coat of arms of Montenegro (1992-2004).svg, Coat of arms of Montenegro
(1993–2004) Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg, Coat of arms of Montenegro
(since 2004)

References

External links

*
Serbian Coat of Arms

{{nationalflags National symbols of Yugoslavia Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro