Information about effigy: Coat of Arms of South Africa, 1910

The Coat of Arms of South Africa between 1910 and 2000 was granted to the Union of South Africa by King George V and later amended by the British College of Arms. It contains a representation of the four provinces within the Union. The coat of arms was later retained by the Republic of South Africa for a period until the end of apartheid in 1994. The 1910 Coat of Arms was replaced in 2000 by a more Africanised Coat of Arms of South Africa.

The 1910 Coat of Arms features a shield quartered, each quarter a symbol of one of the four provinces of South Africa. An ox wagon represents Transvaal Province, a woman with an anchor represents Cape Province, two wildebeests represent Natal Province and an orange tree represents the Orange Free State Province. The crest of the arms features a lion holding four bound sticks. The supporters are a springbok and a gemsbok. Below the arms, the Latin motto, Ex Unitate Vires (translated as "Union Is Strength" but from 1961, translated as "Unity Is Strength").

The blazon (formal description of the arms in heraldic terms) is: "Quarterly per fesse wavy First Quarter Gules a female figure representing Hope resting the dexter arm upon a rock and supporting with the sinister hand an Anchor Argent Second Quarter Or two Wildebeesten in full course at random both proper Third Quarter Or upon an island an Orange tree Vert fructed proper Fourth Quarter Vert a Trek Waggon Argent And for the Crest On a Wreath of the Colours A Lion passant guardant Gules supporting with the dexter paw four staves erect alternately Argent and Azure and branded Or And for the Supporters, On the dexter side A Spring Buck and on the sinister side An Oryx (Gemsbuck) both proper together with the motto EX UNITATE VIRES."

First Coat of Arms of South Africa on a bronze coin

South Africa / One Cent 1980

The 1910 Coat of Arms of south Africa is seen here on a bronze coin of the Second Decimal coinage (1965 - 1995).