This is Peru’s national symbolic emblem that was designed by two congressmen namely, José Gregorio Paredes and Francisco Javier Cortés.
The symbol was eventually officially adopted in 1825, and further experienced slight modifications in 1950. However, it hasn’t been touched or changed ever since,
The Coat of Arms of Peru has four variants or types that include:
- the Coat of Arms (Spanish: Escudo de Armas)
- the National Coat of Arms, or National Shield (Spanish: Escudo Nacional)
- the Great Seal of the State (Spanish: Gran Sello del Estado)
- the Naval Coat of Arms (Spanish: Escudo de la Marina de Guerra)
The one thing common in all four variants is that they share the same shield, also known as escutcheon.
Symbolism of the Flag
The Peruvian flag features three identical bands in the colors red, white and red. The Peruvian National Coat of Arms is located right in the middle of the white band.
These colors hold great symbolism and they were selected by Jose de San Martin, The Liberator.
The shield on the Coat of Arms of Peru basically contains three very important symbols, each of which has special significance to offer. These are the symbols of the nation that include:
- Vicuña – Peru’s national animal
- cinchona tree – which contains quinine that is extracted to flavor tonic water
- a cornucopia – a horn overflowing with coins
These three elements or symbols are believed to be a representation of Peru’s flora, fauna and overall wealth.
Variants of the Peruvian Coat of Arms
The Coat of Arms
This variant has a laurel on the right and a palm branch on the left. Both are tied with a white and red ribbon and with a Holm Oak Civic Crown featured above it. These symbols basically represent glory and victory.
The National Coat of Arms, or National Shield
This variant features a shield along with a Peruvian flag. There’s a Civic Crown as its crest and a standard on each side. It is used on Bandera de Guerra, also known as the war flag.
The Great Seal of the State
This variant is used on official documents as it contains a semicircular inscription “República del Perú” (“Republic of Peru”) along with the National Shield.
The Naval Coat of Arms
As the name suggests, this variant is used for a number of naval purposes, and it features a semicircular inscription “Marina de Guerra del Peru” with the National Shield. It also has an image of the sun in the crest along with anchors.
The Coat of Arms
The coat of arms of Peru has been described in the Peruvian law describes as follows:
“The arms of the Peruvian Nation shall consist of a shied divided into three fields: one celestial blue to the right, with a vicuna looking inside; other white to the left, with a Cinchona officinalis placed within, and another, red, in the bottom and smaller, with a cornucopia pouring coins, signifying with these symbols the treasures of Peru in the three realms of nature. The coat of arms shall be surmounted by a civic crown in flat view; and accompanied on each side by a flag and a standard of national colors, further described below.”
