Day of the Coat of Arms of Ecuador - October 31st

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.

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.

 

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.

 

By Shadowxfox (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

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.

 

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.

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.

 

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 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.

 

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.