File:Insigne incognitum.svg [[{{{1}}}]]
Template documentation
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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.
- Balduineum Wahl Heinrich VII.jpg
Depiction of the 1341 gathering of prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire, identified by their constituent states' coats of arms
- Philipp Veit 008.jpg
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
- BritishEmpireWW1MemorialBrussel cropped.jpg
- 1952 Trygve Lie Resigns.jpg
Disks in the United Nations General Assembly hall on which the national arms were to be engraved[1]
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:
- File:Coat of arms of Germany.svg Germany
- File:Insigne Zambiae.svg Zambia
- File:Coat of arms of Greece (1924–1935).svg Kingdom of Greece
- File:Insigne modernum Francum.svg Kingdom of France
- File:Coat of arms of the United States.svg
- File:Insigne Lutetiae.svg Fluctuat nec mergitur
- File:Arms of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
.svg){kind=link}
Example II
<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:
.svg){kind=link}
.svg){kind=link}
.png){kind=link}
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, File:Royal Arms of Belgium.svg is shown instead of more elaborate variants such as File:Great coat of arms of Belgium.svg or File:State Coat of Arms of Belgium.svg.
Similarly, for Austria: File:Austria coat of arms official.svg is shown instead of File:Coat of arms of Austria.svg.
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, File:Shield of arms of Sweden.svg is shown instead of the following quartered variant: File:Great shield of arms of Sweden.svg.
Similarly, for Liechtenstein: File:Lesser arms of Liechtenstein.svg is shown instead of File:Greater arms of Liechtenstein.svg.
References
See also
- {{Flag}}
- {{Infobox emblem}}
- {{Infobox coat of arms}}
- {{Infobox COA wide}}