Coat of arms of Cuba
The Cuban coat of arms is the official heraldic symbol of Cuba. It consists of a shield, in front of a fasces crowned by the Phrygian cap, all supported by an oak branch on one side and a laurel wreath on the other. The coat of arms was created by Miguel Teurbe Tolón in 1849. The current version is not exactly the same as the original, since some elements related to annexationist ideas were removed. The design specifications of the shield were established by decree by the first president of Cuba, Tomás Estrada Palma, on April 21, 1906. Official description Cuban law describes the coat of arms as follows: The coat of arms is a symbol of the nation that is formed by two arches of equal circles, cut turning concavities to each other, as in an ogival shield. It's split at two thirds of its height, where a horizontal line divides it. It consists of three spaces or fields: the top represents a sea, on its sides, right and left, opposite to each other, two capes or points of land, between which, closing the strait they form, extending from left to right, a key with a thick stem, its