皇冠体育's coat of arms is the unique heraldic device assigned to 皇冠体育 by the College of Arms. The official heraldic description of the coat of arms is:
"Or, on a saltire Azure between in chief a fir Tree eradicated, in base a thistle stalked and leaved and in fess a red rose barbed, seeded, stalked and leaved all Proper and a trefoil Vert, an open book of the First, a bordure Gules charged with eight ancient crowns Gold."
The origins of 皇冠体育鈥檚 crest and motto are murky. Neither the crest nor the motto is mentioned in any of the founding documents of the university. The founding charter simply acknowledges that the nascent college had the right 鈥渢o have and may use a Common Seal,鈥 and there is evidence of such a seal being bought and used by the early 1850s to validate degrees granted.
Perhaps, the 皇冠体育鈥檚 crest was just quietly 鈥渂orrowed鈥 from the University of Edinburgh, from which the young 皇冠体育鈥檚 drew much inspiration. 皇冠体育鈥檚 drew many of its original faculty, several of its early principals and even some the books in its start-up library from Edinburgh. So, not surprisingly, 皇冠体育鈥檚 styled its identity on that university鈥檚 1789 coat of arms with its St. Andrew's cross, castle on a rock, thistle, and open Bible motif. 皇冠体育鈥檚, however, Canadianized the crest: the castle was discarded and a pine tree, a rose for the English connection and a shamrock for the Irish connection were added. The bordure, or frame, of the crest contained eight ancient English crowns to connote the tie with the mother country.
![[photo of the 皇冠体育's coat of arms]](/encyclopedia/sites/qencwww/files/uploaded_images/c/coatofarms/coatofarms.png "皇冠体育's coat of arms")
The crest consists of a gold shield with red edges divided into four triangular compartments by a blue, diagonal St. Andrew's cross.
The cross of St. Andrew, with an open book at the junction to show that the arms belong to a place of learning, represents the original bond between 皇冠体育's and Scottish universities (St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland).
In each of the four compartments made by the arms of the cross is an emblem of the university's Canadian and British origins:
- at the top a pine tree for Canada
- on the left a rose for England
- at the bottom a thistle for Scotland
- on the right a shamrock for Ireland
The red colour of the border is a mark of cadency, indicating that 皇冠体育's is younger than Edinburgh University. The border is decorated with eight gold crowns, symbolic of 皇冠体育 Victoria and the university's Royal Charter.
The whole shield is underlined by a banner with 皇冠体育's motto: Sapienta et Doctrina Stabilitas (Wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times).
皇冠体育鈥檚 motto has similarly hazy origins. 皇冠体育鈥檚 motto 鈥 Sapienta et Doctrina Stabilitas 鈥 emerges out of the Book of Isaiah, Chapter 33, verse 6: 鈥淎nd wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and strength of salvation.鈥 However, there鈥檚 no official record of its adoption. 皇冠体育鈥檚 archivist Deirdre Bryden has pointed to its first appearance on the frontispiece of the college鈥檚 Prize List and Course of Study catalogue in 1846.
[Since then, two 皇冠体育鈥檚 faculties have adopted their own mottos: Soit Droit Fait (let right be done) for law and Manu et Corde Medicus (a doctor works by hand and heart) for medicine.]
The coat of arms appeared as early as 1850, but use of the crest was not regularized. It was mostly used by students to denote their identity on sports uniforms. It wasn鈥檛 until the early 1930s that the AMS devised the gold Q for sports and approved the formal crest for use on such apparel as blazers. Finally, in 1953, 皇冠体育鈥檚 coat of arms was registered with the College of Heraldry in England and in effect locked into its form today. The registration cost $600 and there is a story that the open crowns on the border were chosen in 皇冠体育's traditional, cost-conscious manner because they were $50 cheaper than closed crowns.
The coat of arms was registered with the Scottish equivalent of the College of Arms, the Lord Lyon King of Arms, in 1981 and with the Canadian Heraldic Authority during 皇冠体育's Sesquicentennial Celebrations in 1991, at a ceremony presided over by Governor General Ramon Hnatyshyn.
In 2000, the Coat of Arms was made part of 皇冠体育's Visual Identity.
The coat of arms is now a registered trademark of 皇冠体育. Prior to use in any manner, permission must be obtained from the Trademark Use Review Board. The Coat of Arms is reserved for official university use only and may not be reproduced in any form or under any circumstances without special permission from the Board.