The current coat of arms of Guatemala was adopted after the by a decree of president

Miguel García Granados Miguel García Granados y Zavala (29 September 1809 – 8 September 1878) was a Spanish-born Guatemalan politician and military general who served as President of Guatemala from 1871 to 1873. Early life García Granados was born in El ...

. 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 in heraldry (not being one of the seven main colours or metals or the three ''staynard colours''). This tincture is sometimes also called ciel or simply celeste. I ...

shield. According to government specifications, the coat of arms should be depicted without the shield only when on the flag, 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 engraver Johann-Baptist Frener possibly designed the shield, and Granados decided to adopt it as the

national coat of arms A national coat of arms is a symbol which denotes an independent state in the form of a heraldic achievement. While a national flag is usually used by the population at large and is flown outside and on ships, a national coat of arms is normally ...

, abandoning the previous coat of arms which had

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

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 Julio César Méndez Montenegro (November 23, 1915 – † April 30, 1996) was the Revolutionary Party President of Guatemala from July 1, 1966 to July 1, 1970. Mendez was elected on a platform promising democratic reforms and the curtailment of ...

, specifying the elements, colors, and the specific shade of blue on the shield.

Symbolism

The elements of the coat of arms have the following symbolism: *The

Resplendent quetzal The resplendent quetzal (''Pharomachrus mocinno'') is a small bird found in southern Mexico and Central America, with two recognized subspecies, ''P. m. mocinno'' and ''P. m. costaricensis''. These animals live in tropical forests, particularly ...

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. National birds See al ...

of Guatemala, and represents freedom and independence of the nation. *The crossed

Remington Remington may refer to: Organizations * Remington Arms, American firearms manufacturer * Remington Rand, American computer manufacturer * Remington Products, American manufacturer of shavers and haircare products * Remington College, American c ...

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 round wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen, or later from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cherry laurel (''Prunus laurocerasus''). It is a s ...

represents victory. *The parchment at the center reads "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 ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

) 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_Guatemala_1858.svg, 1858–1871 Coat of arms of Guetamala (1871–1968).png, 1871–1968 Coat of arms of Guatemala with background.svg, 1968–present

References

Guatemala National symbols of Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala Guatemala {{Heraldry-stub