Coat of arms of South Africa (1910–2000)

Coat of arms of South Africa
Versions
The originally granted arms
Details
Armiger	Union of South Africa
Adopted	1910
Relinquished	2000
Crest	Lion holding four bound sticks
Escutcheon	Quarterly: The four provinces of South Africa
Supporters	Springbok and Gemsbok
Motto	Ex Unitate Vires

The coat of arms of South Africa between 1910 and 2000 was granted to the Union of South Africa by King George V and later amended by the British College of Arms. It contained representation of the four provinces within the Union. The coat of arms was later retained by the Republic of South Africa throughout the apartheid regime, and for a period after the end of apartheid. The 1910 coat of arms was replaced in 2000 by a more Africanised coat of arms of South Africa.

The coat of arms featured a shield quartered. In each quarter was a symbol of the four provinces of South Africa. An ox wagon representing Transvaal Province, a woman with an anchor representing Cape Province, two wildebeests representing Natal Province and an orange tree representing the Orange Free State Province. The crest of the arms featured a lion holding four bound sticks. The supporters were a springbok and a gemsbok. Below the arms was the Latin motto, Ex Unitate Vires (translated as "Union Is Strength" but from 1961, translated as "Unity Is Strength").

The blazon (formal description of the arms in heraldic terms) is: "Quarterly per fesse wavy First Quarter Gules a female figure representing Hope resting the dexter arm upon a rock and supporting with the sinister hand an Anchor Argent Second Quarter Or two Wildebeesten in full course at random both proper Third Quarter Or upon an island an Orange tree Vert fructed proper Fourth Quarter Vert a Trek Waggon Argent And for the Crest On a Wreath of the Colours A Lion passant guardant Gules supporting with the dexter paw four staves erect alternately Argent and Azure and branded Or And for the Supporters, On the dexter side A Spring Buck and on the sinister side An Oryx (Gemsbuck) both proper together with the motto EX UNITATE VIRES."