Coat of arms of St. Kitts and Nevis

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Coat of arms of St. Kitts and Nevis

The coat of arms of St. Kitts and Nevis was given to the two islands as part of the British colony of St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla in 1967 and, after independence in 1983, was adopted in a slightly modified form as the national coat of arms .

The coat of arms is silver with a red rafter . Above the rafter are two red flowers of a flame tree , below is a sailing ship in natural colors. In the blue head of the shield there is a golden fleur-de-lys , the golden head of a carib and a red and white Tudor rose . The shield is framed by two palm trees, the shield holders are two brown pelicans . The helmet bulge and decoration are black and silver, the helmet is crowned by a green wall crown , over which a light-skinned and a dark-skinned arm carry a torch. A silver-green banner under the sign reflects the state motto Country Above Self .

The figures in the head of the shield symbolize France (lily) and the United Kingdom ( rose ) as former rulers as well as the indigenous population (head). Flame tree and brown pelican are the national plant and animal symbols.

In the colonial coat of arms the sailing ship was a two-master, the old motto of the colony was Unity in Trinity ("Unity in Trinity"), which referred to the three islands of the colony. An older coat of arms united the plaques of the three islands of the colony in one coat of arms, with St. Christopher (St. Kitts) being represented in the first field and Nevis in the second field.

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