coat of arms of Guyana
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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}}
{{Infobox coat of arms
| name = Coat of arms of Guyana
| image = Coat of arms of Guyana.svg
| image_width = 250
| middle = Arms of the President of Guyana.svg
| middle_width = 100
| middle_caption = Coat of arms of the President
| lesser =
| lesser_width =
| lesser_caption =
| armiger = Co-operative Republic of Guyana
| year_adopted = 25 February 1966
| crest = An Amerindian head-dress (also called a Cacique's Crown) with two diamonds on the sides; a helmet Or; Mantling Azure and Argent
| shield = Argent, three barrulets wavy Azure; in chief a Victoria regia lily, Guyana's national flower; in base the national bird, the Canje Pheasant (Opisthocomus hoazin)
| supporters = Jaguars with pick axe and stalks of rice and sugar cane
| compartment =
| motto = One People, One Nation, One Destiny
| orders =
| other_elements =
| earlier_versions =
| use =
}}
The coat of arms of Guyana was granted by the College of Arms on 25 February 1966.
It includes a crest of an Amerindian head-dress symbolising the indigenous people of the country, this crest is also called the Cacique's Crown; two diamonds at the sides of the head-dress representing mining industry; a helmet; two jaguars as supporters holding a pick axe, sugar cane, and a stalk of rice (symbolising Guyana's mining, sugar and rice industries); a shield decorated with the Victoria amazonica lily, Guyana's national flower; three blue wavy lines representing the three main rivers of Guyana; and the national bird, the Canje Pheasant (Opisthocomus hoazin). The national motto, "One people, One Nation, One Destiny", appears on the scroll below the shield.{{Cite web|url=http://www.guyana.org/coatarm.html|title=The Coat of Arms|website=www.guyana.org|access-date=2017-08-08}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.guyana.org/Handbook/symbols.html|title=NATIONAL SYMBOLS|website=www.guyana.org|access-date=2017-08-08}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.caribcentral.com/guyana/guyflag_coat.htm|title=National Flag & Coat of Arms|website=www.caribcentral.com|access-date=2017-08-08}}
British Guiana
| width="60%" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0" border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 0.5em 1em 0.5em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse;" | |
| align="center" colspan=3 style="background-color:#369; color:white;" |Colony of British Guiana | |
| bgcolor = "#DCDCDC" width = "20%"|Emblem
!bgcolor = "#DCDCDC" width = "20%"|Period of use !bgcolor = "#DCDCDC" width = "60%"|Notes | |
|---|---|
| align="center"|120px
|align="center"|1875–1906 | Colonial badge of British Guiana, based on the seal of the Dutch West India Company. Depicting a sailing vessel with full sails. Before this, the royal arms of the United Kingdom was used by the colonial authorities. |
| align="center"|120px
|align="center"|1906–1955 | The badge remained the same but was further augmented with a golden strap surrounding the badge with the Latin motto "DAMUS PETIMUSQUE VICISSIM" (We Give and Take in Return). The design of the sailing ship was changed slightly. |
| align="center"|120px
|align="center"|1955–1966 | On 8 December 1954 a coat of arms was granted to the colony by the College of Arms in London. It depicted a Blackwall frigate in full sails, sailing to the sinister on waves of the sea, all proper. The same motto is written on a ribbon below the shield. Used until independence. |
Symbolism
File:Guyana coat of arms explained.png
The symbolism of the coat of arms of Guyana is as follows:{{cite web|url=https://www.constituteproject.org/constitution/Guyana_2016.pdf?lang=en|title=Guyana's Constitution of 1980 with Amendments through 2016|access-date=2023-08-20}}
- The Amerindian head-dress, the Cacique Crown, symbolises the Amerindians as the indigenous people of the country.
- The two diamonds at the sides of the head-dress represent the country’s mining industry.
- The helmet, on which the Cacique Crown rests, is the monarchical insignia.
- The two jaguars rampant, holding a pick-axe, a sugar cane, and a stalk of rice, symbolise labour and the two main agricultural industries of the country, sugar and rice.
- The shield, which is decorated with the national flower, the Victoria Regia Lily, is to protect the nation.
- The three blue wavy barrulets represent the three great rivers and many waters of Guyana.
- The Canje Pheasant at the bottom of the shield is a rare bird found principally in this part of the world and represents the rich fauna of Guyana.