| Coat of arms of the Región de Murcia | |
| Lesser Width: | 85px |
| Lesser Caption: | Logo |
| Armiger: | Region of Murcia |
| Year Adopted: | 1982 |
| Crest: | Spanish Royal Crown |
| Shield: | Gules, at the dexter chief four castles Or two and two, at the sinister base, seven crowns Or one, three, two, and one |
| Earlier Versions: | see below |
The coat of arms of the Region of Murcia is described in the article 4 of the Spanish Organic Law 4 of 9 June 1982, the Statute of Autonomy of the Region of Murcia[1] and further regulated by Decree 34 of 8 June 1983, approving the official design and use of the coat of arms of the Region of Murcia.[2]
The first official description of the coat of arms remits to the elements of the flag and is composed as follows:
Given the lack of precision to define a correct blazon, was approved a decree on 8 June 1983 blazoned the shield of the region as follows:
The four castles evoke the region's history as a frontier zone caught between the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Castile, and the Nasrid Kingdom of Granada and the Mediterranean Sea: four territories of land and sea, Christians and Muslims, adventurers and warriors, all of which created a distinct Murcian culture. The four castles also can refer to the four lordships that initially carved up the area after it was conquered by Alfonso X of Castile.[3]
The seven crowns were granted to the Kingdom of Murcia by the Castilian Crown. The first five crowns were granted by Alfonso X on 14 May 1281, when he granted the standard and municipal seal to the capital city of Murcia. The sixth crown was granted by Peter of Castile on 4 May 1361, in honour of the loyalty of Murcia shown to Peter's cause during the War of the Two Peters. The seventh crown was granted by Philip V of Spain on 16 September 1709 in honour of the loyalty of Murcia shown to Philip's cause during the War of the Spanish Succession.[3]
Shortly before the establishment of the self-government, the Council of the Province of Murcia officially approved a coat of arms, that was used previously since 12 July 1976 (the Spanish monarchy was restored in November 1975). The provincial coat of arms appeared in the center of a cobalt blue flag. The Murcia Province quarterings and a central inescutcheon were standing for: Caravaca de la Cruz, Cartagena, Cieza, Lorca, Mula, Totana, La Unión, Yecla and the City of Murcia (inescutcheon). The crest was the Spanish Royal Crown. Its usage ended with the adoption of the current symbols of the autonomous community on 9 August 1982.[6]