Templat:Coat of arms/doc

Usage

This template enables simple and orderly use of heraldry to identify armigers (e.g. territories, persons or organisations) in Wikipedia, for example in lists, on maps or in outline templates.

For non-heraldic emblems, Template:Seal may be used.

To see the Coat of arms list and for updates, click the toolbar Edit tab.

Background: Appropriate use of heraldry

Heraldic emblems – typically coats of arms, also referred to as arms – have since the Middle Ages been used to represent or identify personal/geographical entities, preceding flags for such use by several centuries. Moreover, heraldic emblems have traditionally also been preferred to vexillological designs for representation on any physical medium other than actual fluttering banners, i.e. fixed surfaces such as paintings, paper, carved wood, metal, masonry, leather, stone or stained glass. Note that heraldic emblems may also be displayed on fabric; either as embroidered arms or as a tabard.

• 
  Depiction of the 1341 gathering of prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire, identified by their constituent states' coats of arms
• 
  1830s painting of Germania holding the German arms while seated on a pedestal displaying the arms of the seven traditional prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire
• 
  British post-WWI memorial tablet in Brussels Cathedral
• 
  Disks in the United Nations General Assembly hall on which the national arms were to be engraved

Example I

*{{Coat of arms|Germany}}
*{{Coat of arms|Zambia}}
*{{Coat of arms|Kingdom of Greece}}
*{{Coat of arms|Kingdom of France}}
*{{Coat of arms|United States|text=none}}
*{{Coat of arms|Paris|text=''[[Fluctuat nec mergitur]]''}}
*{{Coat of arms|United Kingdom|size=45px}}

Would produce:

•  Germany
•  Zambia
•  Kingdom of Greece
•  Kingdom of France
• 
•  Fluctuat nec mergitur
•  United Kingdom

Example II

See: Template:Heraldic map of the European Union

<div style="text-shadow:white 0em 0em 0.4em; font-family:{{{font|Cambria, Georgia, Times, 'Times New Roman', serif}}}; font-size:{{{font_size|90%}}}">
{{Image label begin|image=EU map blank.svg|width=460|link=|scale={{{width|-1}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-278|y=-355|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Austria|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Austria|<span style="color:black;">Austria</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-171|y=-310|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Belgium|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Belgium|<span style="color:black;">Belgium</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-400|y=-419|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Bulgaria|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Bulgaria|<span style="color:black;">Bulgaria</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-300|y=-405|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Croatia|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Croatia|<span style="color:black;">Croatia</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-414|y=-286|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Cyprus|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Cyprus|<span style="color:black;">Cyprus</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-280|y=-321|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Czech Republic|text=<br /><div style="text-shadow:white 0em 0em 0.4em; line-height:85%">[[Czech Republic|<span style="color:black;">Czech Republic</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-220|y=-225|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Denmark|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Denmark|<span style="color:black;">Denmark</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-350|y=-175|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Estonia|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}|text=[[Estonia|<span style="color:black;">Estonia</span>]]}}}}
{{Image label|x=-343|y=-103|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Finland|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}|text=<br />[[Finland|<span style="color:black;">Finland</span>]]}}}}
{{Image label|x=-149|y=-371|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|France|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}|text=<br />[[France|<span style="color:black;">France</span>]]}}}}
{{Image label|x=-223|y=-296|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Germany|text=<br />[[Germany|<span style="color:black;">Germany</span>]]|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-381|y=-489|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Greece|text=<br />[[Greece|<span style="color:black;">Greece</span>]]|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-323|y=-363|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Hungary|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Hungary|<span style="color:black;">Hungary</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-60|y=-250|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Ireland|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Republic of Ireland|<span style="color:black;">Ireland</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-269|y=-436|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Italy|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Italy|<span style="color:black;">Italy</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-350|y=-206|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Latvia|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}|text=[[Latvia|<span style="color:black;">Latvia</span>]]}}}}
{{Image label|x=-350|y=-233|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Lithuania|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}|text=[[Lithuania|<span style="color:black;">Lithuania</span>]]}}}}
{{Image label|x=-177|y=-340|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Luxembourg|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Luxembourg|<span style="color:black;">Luxembourg</span>]]</div>}}}}
{{Image label|x=-263|y=-552|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Malta|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}|text=[[Malta|<span style="color:black;">Malta</span>]]}}}}
{{Image label|x=-166|y=-280|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Netherlands|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Netherlands|<span style="color:black;">Netherlands</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-320|y=-280|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Poland|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}|text=<br />[[Poland|<span style="color:black;">Poland</span>]]}}}}
{{Image label|x=-3|y=-457|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Portugal|text=<br />[[Portugal|<span style="color:black;">Portugal</span>]]|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-387|y=-368|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Romania|text=<br />[[Romania|<span style="color:black;">Romania</span>]]|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-330|y=-330|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Slovakia|text=<br /><div style="line-height:85%">[[Slovakia|<span style="color:black;">Slovakia</span>]]</div>|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-275|y=-389|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Slovenia|text=[[Slovenia|<span style="color:black;">Slovenia</span>]]|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-68|y=-460|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Spain|text=<br />[[Spain|<span style="color:black;">Spain</span>]]|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}}}}}
{{Image label|x=-267|y=-143|scale={{{width|-1}}}|text={{Coat of arms|Sweden|size={{{arms_size|15px}}}|text=<br />[[Sweden|<span style="color:black;">Sweden</span>]]}}}}
{{Image label end}}
</div>

Would produce:

Parameters

Field name	Required	Description	Default value	Special value
size	no	The size of the arms. Include the denomination "px".	20px	N/A
link	no	Where one is directed by clicking on the arms	The initial value written {{Coat of arms|X}}	N/A
text	no	The piece of text appearing on the right-hand side of the arms.	The initial value written {{Coat of arms|X}}	"none" gives no text whatsoever

Principles for consistency and visibility

Based on conventional heraldic practice, the following premise ensures a meaningful degree of uniformity and distinctiveness of the motifs even at low resolutions (20 pixels is the default width):

I: Escutcheons exclusively

All elements of achievement save the indispensable escutcheon are omitted.

E.g. for Belgium, is shown instead of more elaborate variants such as or .

Similarly, for Austria: is shown instead of .

II: Unmarshalled versions preferred

When an escutcheon has multiple variants, the one with least marshalling, i.e. the simplest or lesser, is employed.

E.g. for Sweden, is shown instead of the following quartered variant: .

Similarly, for Liechtenstein: is shown instead of .

See also

• {{Flag}}
• {{Infobox emblem}}
• {{Infobox coat of arms}}
• {{Infobox COA wide}}