ASJ-Bahamas National Coat of Arms

The data below are from a collection of sources, some of the composers, designers, and publishers etc have been forgotten and or not recorded properly. Therefore, my apology to any person and or "entity" etc who / which are not properly acknowledged for the appropriate design, composition, and or published data below.

The National Coat of Arms is a sign of identity and legitimate stamp of authority . The fundamental parts of the Coat of Arms are, the Shield upon which the charges are placed, the Crest, the Supporter, the Helmet, the Mantling, and the Motto. At the base the Coat of Arms is a scroll upon which is inscribed the National Motto:

"Forward, Upward, Onward, Together"

The present Coat of Arms officially replaces the previous one which was granted by Royal Warrant on June 5th, 1959. It is a distinguished symbol of the Bahamian people, designed by Mr. Hervis L. Bain Junior - a native son of The Bahamas. The National Coat of Arms was approved by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II on December 7th, 1971 for use by the Bahamian People and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

Mr. Hervis L. Bain Junior is a graduate of St. Johns College on the island of Nassau, and Nova Scotia College of Art. He is also a graduate of the Art Administration Institute of Harvard University. Mr. Bain is an internationally recognized artist whose works have been exhibited in Canada, The United States of America, Mexico and The Caribbean.

"The conch shell, palm leaves, sun, Christopher Columbus’ ship, blue marlin, and flamingo are a part of the Bahamian experience and are therefore relevant symbols for The Bahamas and the Bahamian people."

The Bahamas' coat of arms is a composition of things indigenous to these islands. The Bahamian artist Hervis Bain prepared the preliminary design of the coat of arms.

There was a national competition to produce the motto for the coat of arms, and the competition was won by two 11-year-old schoolchildren – Vivian F. Moultrie of Inagua Public School and Melvern B. Bowe of the Government High School in Nassau.

1) The motto: "Forward Upward Onward Together" heralds to the direction and manner in which the Bahamian nation should move is draped across the base of the coat of arms.

2) The crest of the arms, a light pink conch shell, symbolises the marine life of The Bahamas.

3) The top of the crest is composed of wavy green palm fronds, symbolic of the natural vegetation.

4) The Santa Maria, flagship of Christopher Columbus, appears on the shield, and Wavy barrulets of blue symbolise the waters of The Bahamas.

5) The shield is charged with a resplendent or radiant sun to signify the world-famous balmy resort climate, and it also connotes the bright future of these islands.

6) A flamingo, the national bird, and a silvery blue marlin support the shield.

C. I. Gibson Senior High School, Marathon Estates, Marathon Road, Nassau, N. P., Bahamas