Coat of arms of Sierra Leone

Coat of arms of Sierra Leone
Details
Armiger	Republic of Sierra Leone
Adopted	1960
Escutcheon	Vert a lion passant Or armed and langued Gules standing on a base Argent, two bars wavy Azure, and a chief indented of four points Argent, three flaming torches Sable, its flames Gules
Supporters	Two lions rampant Or , armed and langued Gules, each supporting a palm-tree proper
Compartment	A grassy ground Vert
Motto	UNITY, FREEDOM, JUSTICE

The coat of arms of Sierra Leone (along with the flag), were developed by the College of Arms and granted in 1960.

Design

The shield on the arms depicts a lion beneath a zigzag border, representing the Lion Mountains, after which the country was named. It also shows three torches which are meant to symbolize peace and dignity. At the base are wavy bars depicting the sea.

The supporters of the shield are lions, similar to those on the colonial badge. The three main colours from the shield – green, white and blue – were used to form the flag.

The green represents agricultural and natural resources, the blue represents the Harbour of Freetown and the white represents unity and justice. At the bottom of the shield, the national motto can be seen.

Blazon

The Coat of Arms of Sierra Leone are described as:

(a) for arms-

1. Vert a lion passant Or armed and langued Gules.
2. Standing on a base Argent, two bars wavy Azure.
3. And a chief indented of four points Argent, three flaming torches Sable, its flames Gules.

Badge of Sierra Leone (1901–1914)

(b) for the supporters-

1. Two lions rampant Or , armed and langued Gules, each supporting a palm-tree proper.
2. They stand on a grassy ground Vert.

(c) with the motto "UNITY, FREEDOM, JUSTICE”.

References