Coat of arms of Peru
Encyclopedia
The coat of arms of Peru is the national symbolic emblem of Peru
. Four variants are used: the coat of arms per se (Escudo de Armas); the national coat of arms, or national shield (Escudo Nacional); the great seal of the state (Gran Sello del Estado); and the naval coat of arms (Escudo de la Marina de Guerra).
, the national animal, on a light-blue field
, representing the fauna
of Peru; the tree in the top right section is the cinchona
tree (the source of quinine
, a powerful anti-malarial drug and the key flavorant in tonic water
), on a white background, representing the national flora
; and the bottom cornucopia
with coins spilling from it, on a red field, represents the mineral resources of the country.
.
(Escudo de Armas) has a palm branch on its left and an laurel
one on its right, tied by a red and white ribbon, as well as a Holm oak
Civic Crown
above it. These represent victory and glory. This variant is used on the national ensign (Pabellón Nacional) or state flag. Its use on its own is infrequent, except on currency
, both on coins and bills, and stamps.
and a standard on each side, and a Civic Crown as crest
. It is used on the war flag (Bandera de Guerra). Its use on its own is mandated for all public buildings, with the name of the entity under it.
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The first version of the Coat of Arms of Peru was designed by General José de San Martín
and officially declared on 21 October 1820. It consisted of a landscape of the sun rising from the Andes
, seen from the sea, and escorted by laurel branches tied with a golden ribbon.
In the shield, on a blue sky background, the sun's yellow rays can be seen behind the dark brown mountains rising above the blue and green ocean.
The flags of the South American nations and a banana tree can be seen behind the shield. A condor
on the left and a llama
on the right act as supporters.
All this was on top of a baroque
base, with a scroll under it with the motto
"Renació el sol del Perú" ("Peru's sun is reborn") in capital letters. Some flowers, branches and ammunition were on the base.
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On 25 February 1825, Simón Bolívar
and the Constituent Congress proclaimed a law defining the new national symbols. establishing the new Coat of Arms, similar to the one used today. This was designed by Congressmen
José Gregorio Paredes and Francisco Javier Cortés. The official description was the following:
The last modification was in March 1950, during General Manuel A. Odría
’s administration. In this way, the coat of arms was split in halves, and the lower section became the largest, rather than the smallest. The national coat of arms was created simultaneously as a heraldic symbol of the State.
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Four variants are used: the coat of arms per se (Escudo de Armas); the national coat of arms, or national shield (Escudo Nacional); the great seal of the state (Gran Sello del Estado); and the naval coat of arms (Escudo de la Marina de Guerra).
Description
All four share the same escutcheon or shield, consisting of three elements: the top left section shows the vicuñaVicuña
The vicuña or vicugna is one of two wild South American camelids, along with the guanaco, which live in the high alpine areas of the Andes. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas, which are raised for their fibre...
, the national animal, on a light-blue field
Field (heraldry)
In heraldry, the background of the shield is called the field. The field is usually composed of one or more tinctures or furs. The field may be divided or may consist of a variegated pattern....
, representing the fauna
Fauna
Fauna or faunæ is all of the animal life of any particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is flora.Zoologists and paleontologists use fauna to refer to a typical collection of animals found in a specific time or place, e.g. the "Sonoran Desert fauna" or the "Burgess shale fauna"...
of Peru; the tree in the top right section is the cinchona
Cinchona
Cinchona or Quina is a genus of about 38 species in the family Rubiaceae, native to tropical South America. They are large shrubs or small trees growing 5–15 metres in height with evergreen foliage. The leaves are opposite, rounded to lanceolate and 10–40 cm long. The flowers are white, pink...
tree (the source of quinine
Quinine
Quinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine which, unlike quinine, is an anti-arrhythmic...
, a powerful anti-malarial drug and the key flavorant in tonic water
Tonic water
Tonic water is a carbonated soft drink in which quinine is dissolved. Originally used as a prophylactic against malaria, tonic water usually now has a significantly lower quinine content and is consumed for its distinctively bitter taste...
), on a white background, representing the national flora
Flora
Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...
; and the bottom cornucopia
Cornucopia
The cornucopia or horn of plenty is a symbol of abundance and nourishment, commonly a large horn-shaped container overflowing with produce, flowers, nuts, other edibles, or wealth in some form...
with coins spilling from it, on a red field, represents the mineral resources of the country.
.
The coat of arms
The coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
(Escudo de Armas) has a palm branch on its left and an laurel
Bay Laurel
The bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
one on its right, tied by a red and white ribbon, as well as a Holm oak
Holm Oak
Quercus ilex, the Holm Oak or Holly Oak is a large evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean region. It takes its name from holm, an ancient name for holly...
Civic Crown
Civic Crown
The Civic Crown was a chaplet of common oak leaves woven to form a crown. During the Roman Republic, and the subsequent Principate, it was regarded as the second highest military decoration to which a citizen could aspire...
above it. These represent victory and glory. This variant is used on the national ensign (Pabellón Nacional) or state flag. Its use on its own is infrequent, except on currency
Peruvian nuevo sol
The nuevo sol plural: nuevos soles; currency sign: S/.) is the currency of Peru. It is subdivided into 100 cents, called céntimos in Spanish. The ISO 4217 currency code is PEN. It is most commonly referred to just as sol...
, both on coins and bills, and stamps.
The national coat of arms
The national coat of arms, or national shield (Escudo Nacional), consists of the shield plus a Peruvian flagFlag of Peru
The flag of Peru was adopted by the government of Peru in 1825. It is a vertical triband with red outer bands and a single white middle band. Depending on its use, it may be defaced with different emblems, and has different names...
and a standard on each side, and a Civic Crown as crest
Crest (heraldry)
A crest is a component of an heraldic display, so called because it stands on top of a helmet, as the crest of a jay stands on the bird's head....
. It is used on the war flag (Bandera de Guerra). Its use on its own is mandated for all public buildings, with the name of the entity under it.
The Great Seal of the State
The Great Seal of the State (Gran Sello del Estado), consisting of the National Shield and the semicircular inscription "REPÚBLICA DEL PERÚ" ("Republic of Peru") above it, is used on official documents.The Naval Coat of Arms
The Naval Coat of Arms (Escudo de la Marina de Guerra), consists of the National Shield and the semicircular inscription "Marina de Guerra del Peru", along with anchors instead of the traditional flags it is embedded upon, as well as having an image of the sun as the crest. It is used for various naval purposes.First version
José de San Martín
José Francisco de San Martín, known simply as Don José de San Martín , was an Argentine general and the prime leader of the southern part of South America's successful struggle for independence from Spain.Born in Yapeyú, Corrientes , he left his mother country at the...
and officially declared on 21 October 1820. It consisted of a landscape of the sun rising from the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, seen from the sea, and escorted by laurel branches tied with a golden ribbon.
In the shield, on a blue sky background, the sun's yellow rays can be seen behind the dark brown mountains rising above the blue and green ocean.
The flags of the South American nations and a banana tree can be seen behind the shield. A condor
Condor
Condor is the name for two species of New World vultures, each in a monotypic genus. They are the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere.They are:* The Andean Condor which inhabits the Andean mountains....
on the left and a llama
Llama
The llama is a South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times....
on the right act as supporters.
All this was on top of a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
base, with a scroll under it with the motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
"Renació el sol del Perú" ("Peru's sun is reborn") in capital letters. Some flowers, branches and ammunition were on the base.
Second version
Simón Bolívar
Simón José Antonio de la Santísima Trinidad Bolívar y Palacios Ponte y Yeiter, commonly known as Simón Bolívar was a Venezuelan military and political leader...
and the Constituent Congress proclaimed a law defining the new national symbols. establishing the new Coat of Arms, similar to the one used today. This was designed by Congressmen
Congress of Peru
The Congress of the Republic of Peru or the National Congress of Peru is the unicameral body that assumes legislative power in Peru.Congress consists of 130 members of congress , who are elected for five year periods in office on a proportional representation basis...
José Gregorio Paredes and Francisco Javier Cortés. The official description was the following:
- "Las armas de la Nación Peruana constarán de un escudo dividido en tres campos (forma polaca), uno azul celeste, a la derecha, que llevará una vicuña mirando al interior; otro blanco, a la izquierda, donde se colocará el árbol de la quina; y otro rojo inferior y más pequeño en que se verá una cornucopia derramando monedas, significándose con estos símbolos, las preciosidades del Perú en los tres reinos naturales. El escudo tendrá por timbre una corona cívica vista de plano; e irá acompañada en cada lado de una bandera y un estandarte de los colores nacionales, señalado más adelante."
- "The arms of the Peruvian Nation shall consist of a shield divided into three fields (Polish shape), one light-blue, to the left, which will carry a vicuña looking inwards; another white, on the right , where a cinchona tree will be located; and another red below and smaller in which a cornucopia will be seen spilling coins, signifying with these symbols, the richnesses of Peru in the three natural kingdoms. The shield shall have as crest a Civic Crown seen flat; and shall be escorted on each side by a flag and standard of the same national colors, described later."
1950 modification
This is the coat of arms used today and is a modification of the second version. Until 1950, the coat of arms was a symbol of both the nation and the state, and presented some difficulties in its design. These generated that, months after its creation, that the seals of ministries modified the law, cutting the width of the shield to design the cornucopia comfortably, and getting rid of the escorting flags.The last modification was in March 1950, during General Manuel A. Odría
Manuel A. Odría
Manuel Arturo Odría Amoretti was the President of Peru from 1948 to 1956.Manuel Odría was born in 1897 in Tarma, a city in the central Andes just east of Lima. He graduated first in his class from the Chorillos Military Academy in 1915. He joined the army and as a lieutenant-colonel was a war...
’s administration. In this way, the coat of arms was split in halves, and the lower section became the largest, rather than the smallest. The national coat of arms was created simultaneously as a heraldic symbol of the State.