Historical Flags 1977-1981 (Spain)

Last modified: 2003-07-12 by santiago dotor
Keywords: spain | coat of arms (spain) | coat of arms: supporter (eagle: black) |
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2:3
by Santiago Dotor
Flag and coat-of-arms adopted 21st January 1977, abolished 1981

• Description
• Rank Flags

See also:

• Royal Standard of the Catholic Kings 1492-1506
• Historical Flags (Spain)
• Spain

On February 2, 1938 General Franco introduced a new coat-of-arms, more or less according to the heraldry of the Catholic Kings Ferdinand and Isabel. (...) A new flag regulation was issued on October 11, 1945 and published one day later, slightly changing the coat-of-arms which is well known.

Emil Dreyer, 6 July 2003

Two years after General Franco's death and King John Charles I accession to the throne (22nd November 1975), a new coat-of-arms was approved by Decree of 21st January 1977 which replaced the 1945 one. The main differences with the previous one were:

1. The eagle was blazoned as azorada ('rising' ie. about to start flight, with slightly displayed wings) instead of pasmada ('close' ie. with closed, vertical wings).
2. The motto ribbon surrounded the nimbus (the yellow disc behind the eagle's head) around the top, instead of beneath it.
3. The nimbus was smaller, so that the eagle's beak lied partially out of it.
4. The 'pillars of Hercules' moved onto the eagle's wings, and pillar capitals and bases changed to gold.
5. The eagle's claws held the coat-of-arms by mid-height (fess), instead of 3/4ths (base).
6. The red ribbons around the yoke and the arrows had the shape of a classical letter "F" (for Catholic King Ferdinand II of Aragon) and "Y" (for his wife Queen Elizabeth -Ysabel in old Spanish spelling- I of Castile).

Santiago Dotor, 27 November 1998