Coat of arms of the Gambia

National coat of arms

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Coat of arms of The Gambia

Armiger	Republic of The Gambia
Crest	Issuant from a Mount Vert, an Oil Palm Nut Tree fructed proper
Torse	Or and Azure
Shield	Azure, a Locar axe and a Mandinka Hoe in saltire Or, a Bordure parted per bordure Vert and Argent
Supporters	on either side a Lion guardant proper, the dexter supporting a Locar Axe and the sinister a Mandinka Hoe, both Or
Compartment	None
Motto	Progress, Peace, Prosperity
Earlier version(s)	Gambia Colony and Protectorate
Use	1889-1965

The coat of arms of The Gambia has been in use since 18 November 1964. It depicts two lions holding an axe and hoe, supporting a shield that depicts another pair of hoe and axe, crossed. Atop the shield is set the heraldic helmet and an oil palm as a crest. At the bottom is the national motto: Progress – Peace – Prosperity. The Gambian coat of arms also appeared in the fly of the Gambian air force ensign.

Overview

The two lions represent the colonial history of The Gambia as part of the British Empire. The crossed axe and hoe represent the importance of agriculture to The Gambia. They are also considered to represent the two major ethnic groups of The Gambia: the Mandinka and the Fulani. The crest, a palm tree, is also a vital national tree.^[1]

The design was created by Nicholas Potin, a government employee with the Department of Surveys, who won a national competition to design it.^[2]

History

Badge of The British West Africa from 1870-1889
Possible Coat of Arms of The Senegambia Confederation from 1982-1989

Variations

The Coat of arms of The Gambia Armed Forces service branches had variations:

Coat of arms used by The Gambian Army had a crossed sword in the shield.
Coat of arms used by The Gambian Navy had an anchor in the shield.
Coat of arms used by The Gambian Air Force had an eagle above national coat of arms.

References

^ Whitney Smith (1975). Flags through the ages and across the world. McGraw-Hill. p. 234. ISBN 978-0-07-059093-9.
^ Bakary Dabo (1992). The voice of the people: the story of the PPP, 1959–1989. Baroueli.