Coat of arms of Uruguay

Coat of arms of Uruguay
Coat of arms of Uruguay
Versions
	1829-1906
Armiger	Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Adopted	19 March 1829
Crest	A Sun of May or
Shield	Quarterly the 1st: Azure, a Scales of Justice or; the 2nd: Argent in base Barry wavy Argent and Azure, a representation of Cerro de Montevideo (Montevideo Hill) with its fortress on the summit proper; the 3rd: Argent, a horse sable; the 4th: Azure, an ox.
Other elements	The oval is surrounded by a laurel branch on the left and an olive one on the right, joined at the bottom by a blue ribbon or a tie through the leaves/branches
Earlier version(s)	file:Escudo Uruguay 1829.svg

The coat of arms of Uruguay or Uruguayan shield (Spanish: Escudo de Armas del Estado) was first adopted by law on March 19, 1829, and later on had some minor modification in 1906 and 1908. It was supposedly designed by Juan Manuel Besnes Irigoyen (1788–1865).

Description

It consists of an oval shield, which is divided into four equal sections and crowned by a rising golden sun, the “Sun of May”, symbolizing the rising of the Uruguayan nation and the May Revolution. The oval is surrounded by a laurel branch on the left and an olive one on the right, representing honor and peace, joined at the bottom by the former uruguayan cockade.

In the upper left quarter there is a golden scale, symbol of equality and justice, set on a blue background. The upper right quarter contains the Cerro de Montevideo (Montevideo Hill) with its fortress on the summit, which represents strength, on a silver background.

In the lower left, also on a silver background, there is a galloping black horse, symbolizing liberty. The lower right quarter holds a golden ox, as a symbol of abundance, on a blue background.

Modifications

From 1829 the coat of arms was ornamented with two Uruguayan Flags on each side, weapons, and various elements of commerce, in 1906 the design was simplified by law elimination all ornaments and specifying on the elements of the design.