National emblem of France

The emblem of the French Republic (French: armoiries de la République française) dates back to the XIX, although some of its elements were adopted during the Revolution of 1789. As in other countries, the emblem is used as one of the symbols of the State, but it is not considered an official emblem, since the French State does not have an official emblem or heraldic shield. It appears on official documents, on police uniforms, on the façade of many public buildings (whether state or municipal), on passports or on coins and medals minted by the French Republic, to name a few examples. Its design incorporates elements taken from the Greco-Latin tradition, such as the fasces or bundle of lictors and the oak and olive branches (laurel for many authors).

Despite not having an official emblem, by the end of the XIX century it was widely considered that the emblem French was made up of the initials of the Republic, the fasces, the olive and oak branches, the collar or band of the Legion of Honor (these elements did not appear in all versions) and two attached French flags. This emblem appeared represented in engravings of well-known encyclopedias, such as the Larousse, and in plates and cards from different countries that reproduced the coats of arms of nations from all over the world. In 1905, on the occasion of the visit of State of the King of Spain to the French Republic, the government decided to unofficially use the emblem with the initials, the fasces and the branches. Although it was not legally regulated, in 1913 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ordered that it be used officially in French embassies and consulates.

The version used today was adopted in 1953, when the General Assembly of the United Nations asked member countries of the organization for a copy of their coat of arms or national emblem. On that occasion, as had happened previously, a legal norm that regulated the shield was not approved.

• In the central part of the emblem is a fur (plaque) decorated with a small lion head and another bird containing the initial "RF" of the expression "République Française" (French Republic).
• The fasces originate in the ceremonies of Ancient Rome: the magistrates, dictators, consuls and emperors were preceded by some lictors. These carried a beam of rods ("fasces"in Latin" symbolizing the power of the State and the authority of its judges. This symbol was recovered in 1790, during the French Revolution, by the National Constituent Assembly when it ordered its adoption "to represent the strength and unity of the French citizens in defense of their freedom". It later became the symbol of the power and authority of the Republic.
• The oak branch represents the permanence of the Nation, while the olive tree represents the glory of the Homeland and the heroes who have defended it.

Seal of the French Republic

Seal of the French Republic.

On September 8, 1848, a stamp for the Second French Republic was created by decree. This seal has been kept during the Republican periods and continues to be used today. Its imprint has been stamped on the original copies of French Constitutions and on some laws that modify the constitutional text, but it has not become the French national coat of arms or emblem.

The central motif of this seal, engraved by Jean-Jacques Barré, is a seated female figure, crowned with laurel branches and various rays of light. This figure, who is the personification of Liberty, carries a fasces in his right hand and, with his left, holds a rudder on which rests the Gallic rooster, another of the national symbols of France, with its right paw placed on an orb or world. Next to the rudder there is a representation of an urn loaded with the letters "SU", which represents the right of direct universal suffrage that had been achieved that year (although it was not extended to women until 1944). Other elements alluding to agriculture and the fine arts also appear on the stamp.

On the obverse is the inscription, in French, "French Democratic Republic, one and indivisible" and on the reverse "In the name of the French people" and "Equality, fraternity, liberty".

Shields and historical emblems

Arms Shield of France	Description	Date
	France Ancienthe royal weapon shield: A sugar field sown with gold lis flowers. Weapons of the monarchs of France and Navarre of the Capetian dynasty (1285-1328). The arms of France were combined with those of Navarre, giving prefence to the former in a party shield and sometimes barracks. A barracks were also used with the weapons of France, Navarre, Champagne and Burgundy that disappeared definitively after the integration of Champaña and Brie in the French Crown.	before 1376
	The Royal Arms Shield Modern France: A sugar field three lilies of gold set two and one.	1376-1423
	On a date close to 1423, two angels were introduced with white robes as shield tenants (the figures of two evangelists were previously represented). In 1469 Louis XI created the Order of St. Michael and, shortly afterwards, the necklace of this order began to be represented around the French royal weapons. Arms of Charles VIII (1495-1498). During the reign of this monarch, the arms of France were combined with those of the Kingdom of Jerusalem in a barracks, giving prefence to the first and fourth barracks. Charles VIII was one of the suitors to the Jerusalem Throne as a relative of Charles V of Maine (Napolitan line).	1423-1515
	Since the year 1515 the crown has been closed with diadems (decorated in the most modern versions with pearls), lined azur and ripped with a flower of lis. To that date, except with few exceptions such as Hungary, the closed crowns were used only by the emperors (Byzantine and Roman German). In 1494 King Charles VIII agreed with Andrés Paleologist, nephew of the last Byzantine emperor, the purchase of the inheritance rights of the empire that had disappeared in 1453 but Charles VIII died in 1498, before making the transaction. Despite this, his successors began to use a closed crown, a decision that was imitated by other European monarchs with real titles to symbolize their independence from imperial power. In 1578 Henry III founded the Order of the Holy Spirit, whose necklace was also introduced into the outer ornaments.	1515-1589
	With the end of the wars of religion, the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Navarre was introduced into the French royal weapons, which he set in a party shield with that of the Modern France, being sometimes held by two angels as supports. This modification represented the personal union of the two kingdoms that occurred when Henry IV acceded to the French throne. Over time, the Navarre weapons were increasingly included in the royal shield, although they did not completely disappear. Elaborated version of French weapons. In the most elaborate version, the shield appeared surrounded by the necklaces of the orders of St. Michael and of the Holy Spirit, dyed with a helmet and the royal crown, and held by two angels with dalmatics and banners loaded with French and Navarre weapons. This set was placed under the royal mantle of France, azur loaded with lis flowers, which was finished with another royal crown. This version also contained the motto of the French monarchs, Montjoie Saint-Denis, written on a tape azur.	1589-1789
	The Convention chose as a national badge (since it cannot be considered a shield) the tricolour scarapela, which was covered in the frigid hats by the revolutionaries. Weapons of the King (1789-1792) As you pass your title King of France and Navarre a King of the French in 1789, Louis XVI simply adopted three lises weapons on a fund of azur. These weapons were maintained until 1792, despite the abolition of the heraldic in 1790.	1789-1804
	The weapons of the First French Empire under Napoleon I, consisted in a field azur with an eagle Gold, whipped (represented about to lift the flight). In the most elaborate version, the shield appears surrounded by the necklace of the Legion of Honor, carries the sceptres of justice and mercy, is dyed with a helmet and the heraldic crown of the French Empire and placed under a mantle. purple loaded with bees Gold.	1804-1814
	The weapons of the French Restoration, the return of the House of Bourbon to the French throne (1814-1830). This simplified version (without the tenants or the yelm) was used very often with the necklaces of the orders of St. Michael and of the Holy Spirit, the crown, the sceptres of justice and the merciful padding, and the royal mantle as exterior ornaments. Weapons ornamented from the Bourbon Restoration. The real weapons of the Kingdom of France that had been used after the conclusion of the wars of religion were recovered but did not incorporate in them the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Navarra.	1814-1830
	During the first year of the July Monarchy the coat of arms of the House of Orleans (the French royal weapons differentiated with a silver lambel of three feet), cluttered with the royal crown, surrounded by the band of the Legion of Honor together with the sceptres of justice and mercy and six French national flags, all of them paved. This set was placed under the royal robe used by the kings of France, with another royal crown.	1830-1831
	Since 1831, the July Monarchy used a shield of weapons in which the Constitution of 1830 appeared represented, with the lis flowers of the royal mantle and the crown being decorated with the characteristic florons. It was decided to remove lis flowers from the shield by considering them symbol of the Ancient Regime.	1831-1848
	The weapons of the Second French Empire under Napoleon III were very similar to those of the First Empire, receiving only minor modifications.	1852-1870
	The Third French Republic dispensed from a shield of weapons proper, using an emblem as a representation, with some fasces or beam of lictors together with the initials of the expression République Française (French Republic) and a branch of laurel and another oak on the outside. The elements of the above-mentioned coat of arms carry two French national flags collected at the bottom and, at times, the acronyms and the lictor were surrounded by the band or necklace of the Legion of Honor.	1870-1940
	Emblema de la France de Vichy, composed of a two-leaf axe, these with the colors of the French flag, and a tape with the motto: Travail, Famille, Patrie (Work, Family, Homeland). The axe is a styling of the "francisque", a name given to a weapon characteristic of the francs. The designer took advantage of drawing the mango, asa or asta of the axe exactly as the cane of a Marshal of France (blue and sown with golden stars), the dignity of Marshal Pétain, head of the so-called French State.	1940-1944
	Emblem of the Fourth French Republic and the Fifth French Republic. An oval plaque azur	1946-1958
(Version adopted in 2020)	Logo of the French government, incorporating the slogan of the republic, the colors of the flag and Marianne (personification of the Republic).	1999-actuality

Source and references

• Heráldica.org, Heráldica Francesa. Checked on 17/04 2010.