Coat of Arms of Costa Rica
| Coat of arms of Costa Rica | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Details | |
| Armiger | Republic of Costa Rica |
| Adopted | 1848 (5 May 1998 alteration added smoke to volcanoes) |
| Crest | An azure ribbon declaring "America Central" |
The official coat of arms of the Republic of Costa Rica was designed in 1848, with modifications in 1906, 1964, and 1998. The latest change was the addition of smoke to distinguish the three volcanoes.
Before 1821, Costa Rica was part of the Spanish Empire and did not have a local coat of arms. The arms of the reigning monarch were used instead. The only city that had a local coat of arms was the city of Cartago, awarded by King Phillip II in 1565. After independence from Spain in 1821, Costa Rica briefly joined the Mexican Empire, so from 1822 to 1823 the Costa Rican arms were those of the Mexican Empire.
In March 1824, when Costa Rica joined the United Provinces of Central America arms promulgated by the new republic's constitution became the arms of the State of Costa Rica. This coat of arms consists of a triangle, in which five volcanoes rise out of the sea symbolizing the five member states of the United Provinces; above the volcanoes is a shining red Phrygian cap and a rainbow. This coat of arms with small changes is still used by the national coat of arms of El Salvador and Nicaragua.
On November 2, 1824, Costa Rica adopted its first coat of arms as a state within the federation which showed the right side of a naked male's chest and extended arm surrounded by a circle of green mountains and the legend free state of Costa Rica.
In 1840, after Costa Rica's withdrawal from the federation, a new coat of arms was adopted, the first for Costa Rica as a sovereign and independent state. It consisted of an eight-pointed shining star in a blue field surrounded by a yellow circle with the legend State of Costa Rica. This coat of arms was suppressed in 1842 by Francisco Morazán during his failed bid to reunite the Federal Republic of Central America. The 1824 arms where used during this period.
The basis of the current national coat of arms of Costa Rica was adopted September 29, 1848, during the presidency of Dr Jose Maria Castro Madriz together with the new flag. Both designs are attributed to Pacifica Fernandez, wife of Mr Castro Madriz. These arms were significantly modified by law number 18 of November 27, 1906, which eliminated the military symbols, national flags and horn of plenty contained in the 1848 design.
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