1st Division: Two thirds Argent, a triple-towered castle of Gules, masoned and ajouré of Sable.
English: Of the mountain called Calpe
| Coat of arms of Gibraltar | |
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| Details | |
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| Escutcheon | Divided per fess: 1st Division: Two thirds Argent, a triple-towered castle of Gules, masoned and ajouré of Sable. |
| Motto | Latin: Montis Insignia Calpe English: Of the mountain called Calpe |
| Use | 1502 - Present |
The coat of arms of Gibraltar was first granted by a Royal Warrant passed in Toledo on July 10, 1502 by Isabella of Castile. The Arms consists of an escutcheon and features a three-towered red castle under which hangs a golden key.
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The arms were described in the Royal Warrant as consisting of:
The arms consist of a shield parted per fess:
The castle has its roots in the heraldry of the Kingdom of Castile, the largest and most important medieval Spanish kingdom, of which Isabella was queen. The key represents the Spanish dominions and signified Gibraltar's status as the "key" to Spain (or, alternatively, the key to the Mediterranean).[2] The idea of Gibraltar being the key to Spain or the Mediterranean originated well before the Spanish conquest. The followers of Tariq ibn-Ziyad, who invaded Spain via Gibraltar in 711, are said to have adopted the symbol of the key when they settled in Granada.[3] The coat of arms was accompanied by the inscription "Seal of the noble city of Gibraltar, the Key of Spain".[4]
The Government of Gibraltar utilises a modified version of the original coat of arms. It is very similar to the original but has an additional motto, Montis Insignia Calpe (Of the mountain called Calpe), which was adopted in 1836 to commemorate the 1779-83 Great Siege of Gibraltar.[5] It is the oldest coat of arms in use in an overseas territory of the United Kingdom and is unique in that it is the only armorial insignia that dates from before the period of British colonial administration.
The arms differ from the seal of Gibraltar, which is an image of the Rock of Gibraltar with a sailing ship in the forefront. There is no evidence available as to when this image was created. From 1982, a banner of the arms has been used as the Flag of Gibraltar. The arms also appear in the flag of the Governor of Gibraltar. The arms of the Government of Gibraltar are the same as the Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom combined with a badge featuring the coat of arms of Gibraltar.
A very similar coat of arms is in use by the nearby Spanish municipality of San Roque, using a slightly different version of the same main heraldic elements (the escutcheon with the castle and key). When Gibraltar was captured by Great Britain in 1704, the city council and much of the population established a new town near the existing chapel of Saint Roch to the west of Gibraltar, in an area that remained under Spanish control.[6] The Royal Warrant of 1502 which granted the coat of arms was taken by the city council to San Roque along with Gibraltar's standard and records, and is now in the San Roque municipal archives.[7]
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