| coat of arms of Guyana | |
| Middle: | Arms of the President of Guyana.svg |
| Middle Width: | 100 |
| Middle Caption: | Coat of arms of the President |
| Armiger: | Co-operative Republic of Guyana |
| Year Adopted: | 25 February 1966 |
| Crest: | An Amerindian head-dress (also called a Cacique's Crown) with two diamonds on the sides; a helmet Or; Mantling Azure and Argent |
| Torse: | Azure and Argent |
| Shield: | Argent, three barrulets wavy Azure; in chief a Victoria regia lily, Guyana's national flower; in base the national bird, the Canje Pheasant (Opisthocomus hoazin) |
| Supporters: | Jaguars with pick axe and stalks of rice and sugar cane |
| Motto: | One People, One Nation, One Destiny |
The coat of arms of Guyana (Co-operative Republic of Guyana) was granted by the College of Arms on 25 February 1966.
It includes a crest of an Amerindian head-dress symbolising the indigenous people of the country, this crest is also called the Cacique's Crown; two diamonds at the sides of the head-dress representing mining industry; a helmet; two jaguars as supporters holding a pick axe, sugar cane, and a stalk of rice (symbolising Guyana's mining, sugar and rice industries); a shield decorated with the Victoria amazonica lily, Guyana's national flower; three blue wavy lines representing the three main rivers of Guyana; and the national bird, the Canje Pheasant (Opisthocomus hoazin). The national motto, "One people, One Nation, One Destiny", appears on the scroll below the shield.[1] [2] [3]
| Colony of British Guiana | ||
| Emblem | Period of use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1875–1906 | Colonial badge of British Guiana, based on the seal of the Dutch West India Company. Depicting a sailing vessel with full sails. Before this, the royal arms of the United Kingdom was used by the colonial authorities. | |
| 1906–1955 | The badge remained the same but was further augmented with a golden strap surrounding the badge with the Latin motto "DAMUS PETIMUSQUE VICISSIM" (We Give and Take in Return). The design of the sailing ship was changed slightly. | |
| 1955–1966 | On 8 December 1954 a coat of arms was granted to the colony by the College of Arms in London. It depicted a Blackwall frigate in full sails, sailing to the sinister on waves of the sea, all proper. The same motto is written on a ribbon below the shield. Used until independence. | |
The symbolism of the coat of arms of Guyana is as follows:[4]