The design of Carlos Wood Taylor was chosen as a result of this competition. Afterwards, a competition was held during President Joaquín Prieto’s Administration to replace it. This coat of arms was widely criticized, and was finally replaced. The lion’s crown had fallen, and a destroyed Spanish flag could be seen in its front paws. The cayman had a lion-the symbol of the Central Spanish State of Castille-in his mouth. To finish, an indigenous figure sitting on an American cayman supported the coat of arms above him while standing with one foot on the so-called horn of Analtea, or the horn of fortune. Surrounding all this were two laurel branches tied with a three-colored ribbon.Īlong this ribbon were all branches of the armed forces, in order: Cavalry, Infantry, Dragoons, Artillery and Bombardiers. On both sides of the column, there were two other stars of equal size that represented the cities of Concepción and Coquimbo. Above it was the American «new world» with the world «Libertad» (Liberty) just below, and on top of everything, a five point star representing the province of Santiago. On September 23rd, 1819, the Chilean Senate approved a new design, which consisted of a coat of arms with a column upon a white marble pedestal, on a dark blue field. The one introduced in October, meanwhile, added two flags whose poles crossed in front of the word «Libertad.» The one introduced in June of that year just kept the column, the globe and the star with an oval in the background, with the word «Libertad» (Liberty) above it. Two new coats of arms were introduced in 1817. On the top, it was written «Post tenebras lux,» or «Light after darkness » «Aut consilliis aut ense,» or «By counsel or by the sword,» could be found written at the bottom. This coat of arms had two mottos, both in Latin. On the sides of the column could be found a pair of indigenous people, standing up. Above the column, there was a globe, and above the globe, a spear and a palm branch, which were crossed. It was designed upon an oval, the center of which had a column that represented the tree of liberty. The first coat of arms was established during José Miguel Carrera’s Administration, in 1812.

Like the flag, Chile’s coat of arms has also undergone many changes from the time of its introduction up to the present day.

Chilean coat of arms meaning