Trinidad and Tobago - Coat of Arms

Last modified: 2024-12-14 by rob raeside
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image by Zoltan Horvath, 27 November 2024

• Coat of Arms
• Proposed change of Coat of Arms (to 2024)

See also:

• Trinidad and Tobago
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• Ensigns
• Military Flags
• Air Guard Flag and Aircraft Marking
• Police Service
• Political Parties
• Colonial and Pre-republican Flags
• Houseflags of Shipping Companies
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• Tobago
• Tobago House of Assembly

Coat of Arms

'Dorling-Kindersley Pocket Book' says the coat of arms represents the three ships of Colombus who landed in Trinidad in 1498. The top of the shield depicts two hummingbirds. The supporters are two local birds, a scarlet ibis and a cocrico, respectively. The shield stands on waves breaking against the rocky coasts of the islands.
Ivan Sache, 11 January 2001

From www.gov.tt:
"The Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago was designed by a committee formed in 1962 to prepare the country for independence. The Coat of Arms was selected and formally agreed to be used as the Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago in 1962. The Birds represented on the Coat of Arms of Trinidad and Tobago are the Scarlet Ibis, the Cocrico (native to Tobago) and the Hummingbird. The three ships represent the Trinity and the three ships of Columbus. The three Peaks were principal motifs of Trinidad's early British Colonial Seals and Flag-Badges. They commemorated both Columbus' decision to name Trinidad after the Blessed Trinity and the three Peaks of the Southern mountain range, called the 'Three Sisters" on the horizon. The fruited Coconut Palm dates back to the great seals of British Colonial Tobago in the days when the Island was a separate administrative unit. Motto - Together we aspire, Together we achieve" -speaks for itself and promotes harmony and diversity for national achievement."
Erki Kurikoff, 13 February 2002

Proposed change of Coat of Arms (to 2024)

image from https://wired868.com

It was officially announced that Trinidad and Tobago officials were about to change the coat of arms, in order to remove references to European colonization.

Christopher Columbus’ three ships — the Pinta, the Niña and the Santa María — will be replaced with the steelpan, a popular percussion instrument that originated in the eastern Caribbean island.

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/trinidad-redrawing-coat-arms-remove-columbus-famous-ships-112981350
Zoltan Horvath, 21 August 2024