Ecuador’s Coat of Arms
went through six processes, since the proclamation of the Independence of
Guayaquil, October 9, 1820.
Until during the presidency
General Eloy Alfaro, in 1900, the current version became the last and ultimate
symbol to the homeland.
Since then, the shield has
become one of the most important elements for Ecuadorian patriots.
There have been many
versions about the creation of this item; some historians say that 12 processes
occurred before the final creation.
On the website of the Vice
President of Ecuador it is stated that there has been four different shields.
Contrasting what is said
on the Ecuador’s President’s website, where five shields are acknowledged,
before settling into the final version, in 1900, under the presidency the general
Eloy Alfaro Delgado.
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| By Sageo This vector image was created with Inkscape. (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
COAT OF ARMS OF 1820
When the Independence of
Guayaquil, was proclaimed on October 9, 1820, the liberation movement adopted a
shield as their symbol.
The shield consists of a
five-pointed star on a blue background, inscribed in an oval and surrounded with
two branches of laurel entwined by a red ribbon.
Later the caption:
"By Guayaquil Independent" was added.
This was, rather, the
shield of the Free Province of Guayaquil and not proper for Ecuador.
Nowadays it is the coat of
arms of our Pacific Pearl, the city of Guayaquil.
.svg) |
| By Shadowxfox [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
COAT OF ARMS OF 1822
When Ecuador joined to the
Great Colombia on May 29, 1822 the Great Colombian shield was adopted.
This shield was created by
Colombian law enacted in October 6, 1821 by the Congress of Cúcuta.
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COAT OF ARMS OF 1830
After the dissolution of
Gran Colombia and when Ecuador was proclaimed a sovereign and independent, there
was held the first Constituent Assembly in the city of Riobamba on September
27, 1830.
This Constituent Assembly
decreed some changes to the coat of arms of Colombia to make it more proper for
the new country of Ecuador.
For instance the use of a
sun on top of this shield and a ribbon with a slogan that says: the Ecuador in
Colombia.
.svg) |
| By Shadowxfox (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
COAT OF ARMS OF 1835
In 1835, when the newly
founded Republic finally came to understand its independence the slogan “the
Ecuador in Colombia” became simply the "Republic of Ecuador".
Again the country adopted a
new shield, without a specific decree.
But it was not until 1836,
when a coinage for Ecuador was decreed in June 14, that the Coat of Arms of the
Republic was described.
The signs of the zodiac
represent the months of the revolution of 1820, from Leo (July-August) to
Scorpio (October-November).
The shield had 7 5-pointed
stars representing the 7 provinces that then made the Ecuador.
The hills: The two on the
left of the shield (right, seen from front) represent the Guagua or Volcano
Baby Pichincha, a condor in the top and the Rucu or Old Pichincha volcano.
The hill on the right of
the shield (left, seen from the front) is a bluff, a tower on it, and on this the
other condor faces the condor that is placed on the Guagua Pichincha.
This shield has the simple
form of an oval shield and wore no ornaments around.
.svg) |
| By Shadowxfox (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons |
COAT OF ARMS OF 1843
After Ecuador grew more
accustomed to its independence it was time to show it in the symbols of Patria
also.
The national convention
meeting in Quito on June 18, 1843, under the chairmanship of Dr. Francisco de
Marcos, decided to change the coat of arms of the Republic again.
But this still was not the
definitive change.
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COAT OF ARMS OF 1845
In the National Convention
held in Cuenca, chaired by Dr. Pablo Merino Ortega, after the triumph of the
March 6, 1845, there was ordered the change of coat by decree of November 6,
1845.
The shield was created
from what is considered the design of the poet José Joaquín de Olmedo.
This consist of an oval
shield containing inside, at the top, the sun with those portions of the
ecliptic in which the corresponding signs are subject to the memorable months
of March, April, May and June.
In the bottom, at the right
side, volcano Chimborazo, a river flows from it and a steamship Guayas is sailing
on the river.
At the mast of Guayas there
is a caduceus as a symbol of navigation and commerce, the sources of prosperity
of Ecuador.
The shield carries
national flags and branches of laurel and palm, and a condor with wings, at the
sides of the ship there are two banners with blue and white including seven
stars.
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| This file is from the Open Clip Art Library |
COAT OF ARMS OF 1900
The President General Eloy
Alfaro and the National Congress of 1900 definitively established the National
Symbols.
The current and final coat
of arms was adopted on October 31, 1900.
It declares the use of the
coat of arms drawn by Olmedo with the following modification.
The Colombian tricolor,
that is also Ecuador’s flag, is used instead of bicolor flags.
On February 21, 2003
Congress passed a resolution on the final design of the coat of arms for
Ecuador making the actual coat the official one for the Republic.
