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Colombia - Coat of Arms

Last modified: 2024-10-12 by daniel rentería
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image from official website of the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia



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Coat of Arms

The version of the Coat of Arms shown in Album 2000 [pay00] is not entirely correct and that will be replaced in corr 1.
Željko Heimer, 16 May 2001

In National flags and distinctive markings - Change Nr 1 [pay01] - Coat of Arms - New design. Several details changed (also changed in all flags showinbg the coat of arms).
Ivan Sache, 8 October 2001

Last arms modification (and therefore flags with arms modification) was issued on 6 August 1955.
Jaume Ollé, 27 October 2001

Jaume's post says the Coat of Arms was last modified in 1955.  It was said also 1924, and that the 1924 modifications were not significant.  As far as I can tell, the difference between the two images is in the quality of the artistry and the presence in the newer image of shadows that are clearly an attempt to three-dimensionalize a web graphic, not an authentic element in the legal coat of arms. 
Joe McMillan, 6 December 2002

Each time there were slight modifications. The 1924 Decree is the most comprehensive. Executive Decree 3558 (9 November 1949) established the official design according to 1924 decree that was not observed before.  New executive decree was issued on 6 August 1955 in same sense and with modifiyng  the condor slighty. Decree 1967 of 1991, established the use of the national arms. If I'm not wrong this information came from Prof. Restrepo Uribe.
Jaume Ollé, 28 December 2002

Concering Joe McMillan's remark, The new coat of arms of the Republic is in my opinion an artistic rendering of the Coat of Arms (actually a graphical-designer rendering).  Shadows are not, however, an attempt to three-dimensionalize a web graphic: is an attempt to three-dimensionalize the Coat of Arms for all purposes.
Carlos Thompson, 10 Febuary 2003

when I was taught the Colombian coat of arms at school, the term they used was "gray".  I found recently that it is suposed to be platinum. I have also seen it white as in the 1955 version above.  The golden fimbrilation that is shown is not part of the blazon, as far as I know.
So, it is: tierced per fess, 1) azur pomegranate or open with seeds gules, two horns or, dexter with mineral wealth, sinester with fruits. 2) platinum cap of liberty gules upon a spearhead proper 3) Azure for sea two mountain ranges green united by an ithsmus separating the sea, a vessel propper in each sea.
Carlos Thompson, 27 March 2003 and John Ma 4, March 2006

There was a recently redrawn version made by a Publicist hired by the Colombian government to give it a more stylized and modern look (please do not confuse this with actual modifications to the Coat of Arms itself). This new version made by the Marketing agency can be seen on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia.
E.R., 5 January 2006

Reading some articles on Revista Credencial, one may find a painting depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence of Colombia on July 20, 1810.
Caption of the image reads: "Firma del Acta de Independencia. Casa del 20 de Julio, Bogotá" by artist Coriolano Leudo. This painting shows most likely the Act signed by members of the Cabildo Abierto (or Council, see wikipedia), which was formed on July 20, 1810 by members of the criollan elite, both Revolutionaries (pro Independence from Spain) and Royalists (loyal to Spain). The Cabildo opted to create a Junta Suprema or Supreme Governing Committee, with (Spanish) Viceroy (Antonio) Amar y Borbón as President and (José MIguel) Pey (then Mayor of the City of Bogotá) as Vice President. Amar was sworn in in the early hours of the next day (July 11, 1810). However, he refused to preside over the junta, and as a consequence, that duty fell to Pey signing another Act on July 25, 1810. Pey thus became the first Criollo to exercise executive power in the Viceroyalty of New Granada (see wikipedia).
This Junta approved the Act of Independence, and Pey was one of the signers.
On the painting one can see clearly on the background the Coat of Arms of Bogotá at the time which came to be the country's first Coat of Arms as well.
The article in full is here.
E.R., 16 June 2009

The shield from the CoA is blazoned thus:

"Tierced per fess, 1) azur pomegranate or open with seeds gules, two horns or, dexter with mineral wealth, sinister with fruits. 2) platinum cap of liberty gules upon a spearhead proper 3) Azure for sea two mountain ranges green united by an isthmus separating the sea, a vessel proper in each sea"
Christopher Southworth, 27 September 2024

1955 Coat of Arms


image by Jaume Ollé, 27 October 2001