NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Coat of arms of Jamaica

Considered as a legacy from the British with slight modifications, the Jamaican Coat of Arms was granted to Jamaica in 1661 under Royal Warrant. The original was designed by William Sancroft, then Archbishop of Canterbury. A modern coat of arms is derived from the medi val practice of painting designs onto the shield and outer clothing of knights to enable them to be identified in battle, and later in tournaments. ... 1661 (MDCLXI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... William Sancroft (1616-1693), archbishop of Canterbury, was born at Fressingfield in Suffolk on January 30, 1616, and entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in July 1634. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader and senior clergyman of the Church of England, recognized by convention as the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ...

Historical facts

In giving consideration to what might have be the form of an appropriate Coat of Arms for an Independent Jamaica, both Government and the Opposition reached agreement in the following principle: the existing Arms (granted in 1661) constituted a “badge of great historical significance to the nation and should be retained”.

All the figures on the Arms represent Jamaica in different aspects: the pineapples -as the indigenous fruits, the Arawaks – as the first inhabitants and the crocodile – as the indigenous reptile in the country. The use of the Royal Helmet and Mantlings is a unique distinction accorded Jamaica.

It is also stated that the original grant of arms was made in February 1662 not 1661. The latter year is an error owing to the change in 1752 from the old style of dating to the new(the New Year began on March 25 so that what was then 1661 would be 1662 to nowadays).

Changes in the Coat of Arms

The Jamaican coat of Arms has seen quite a number of changes, but only three are officially recorded. These changes occurred in 1692, 1957 and 1962 respectively.

Categories: National coats of arms | National symbols of Jamaica This is a list of the coats of arms of North American countries. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... The coat of arms of Antigua and Barbuda was designed in 1966 by Gordon Christopher. ... Coat of Arms since May 5, 1998 The Coat of Arms of Costa Rica depicts an essential simplification of the nation. ... The coat of arms of the Dominican Republic features a shield supported by an olive branch (left) and a palm branch (right); above the shield, a blue ribbon displays the national motto: Dios, Patria, Libertad (God, Fatherland, Liberty). ... Coat of arms of El Salvador The coat of arms of El Salvador has been in use in its current form since 15 September 1912. ... Image:KittsandNevis coat arms. ... The Motto The Land, The People, The LightThe emblems on the Coat of Arms and what they represent: Tudor Rose- England, Fleur de lis- France, Stool- Africa, Torch- Beacon to light the path, Saint Lucia Parrot- Amazona versicolor, the National Bird, The Motto The Land, The People, The Light... The Coat of arms of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is surmounted by a cotton plant and bears the text Peace and Justice in Latin. ... The Coat of arms of Trinidad and Tobago is centered on Columbus ships, under a divers helmet, over a banner reading Together we aspire, together we achieve. Columbus landed in Trinidad in 1498. ... Obverse The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States government. ... Download high resolution version (675x894, 685 KB)From http://cia. ... World map of dependent territories. ... Types of administrative and/or political territories include: A legally administered territory, which is a non-sovereign geographic area that has come under the authority of another government. ... Coat of Arms of the British Virgin Islands The Coat of Arms of the British Virgin Islands was first granted in 1960. ... The Cayman Islands coat of arms consists of a shield, a crested helm and the motto. ... Obverse The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the United States government. ... The Coat of arms of the Netherlands Antilles consists of a shield, a crown and the motto. ... The coat of arms of Puerto Rico were first granted by the Spanish Crown in 1511, and are the oldest arms still used in the New World. ... The Coat of arms of Saint-BarthÃ©lemy is a shield divided into three horizontal stripes, three gold fleur-de-lises on blue, above a white Maltese cross on red, over three gold crowns on blue, and reads Ouanalao. On a white background, it serves as the unofficial Flag of... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Coat of Arms of the Turks and Caicos Islands The Coat of Arms of the Turks and Caicos Islands were granted in 1965. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This is a list of countries spanning more than one continent. ... World map showing the Americas CIA political map of the Americas The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the continents of North America[1] and South America with their associated islands and regions. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ...