Jamaica Coat of Arms
From Jamaica2Rhatid
The Jamaican national motto is ‘Out of Many One People’, based on the population’s multi-racial roots. The motto is represented on the Coat of Arms, showing a male and female member of the Taino tribe standing on either side of a shield which bears a red cross with five golden pineapples. The crest shows a Jamaican crocodile mounted on the Royal Helmet of the British Monarchy and mantling. The original was design by William Sancroft in 1661 however it has seen quite a number of changes since.
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Original Description
For Arms, Argent on a Cross Gules five pine-apples slipped OR: and upon a representation of Our Royal Helmet mantled OR doubled Ermine, for the Crest, On a Wreath Argent and Gules, Upon a Log fesse wise a Crocodile Proper: And for the Supporters, On the dexter side a West Indian Native Woman holding in the exterior hand a Basket of Fruits and on the sinister side a West Indian Native Man supporting by the exterior hand a Bow all proper.
Symbolism
This is largely a legacy from the British with slight modifications. The pineapple represents a fruit considered indigenous, the Tainos the first inhabitants and the crocodile, the indigenous reptile in Jamaica. The phrase which is inscribed on the emblem used to be in Latin "Indus-uteroque Serviet-UNI. In 1962, the phrase was translated to English "Out of many, one people".
Key to Heraldic terms
Argent - silver traditionally represented in heraldic design by white
Gules - red
Slipped - superimposed
OR - gold
Ermine - white (winter white)
Crest - the heraldic device placed above the helmet and separated from it by a wreath
Wreath - a twisted band or ribbon of two or more alternate colours on which the crest usually rests
Fesse wise - horizontal
Supporters - figures which flank and support the shield
Dexter - right (left as seen by the observer)
Sinister - left (right as seen by the observer)
Exterior - outer
Proper - all representations of the relevant elements or features are in their natural (that is not heraldic) colours.
