Jamaica Coat of Arms
The Jamaican Coat of Arms was granted to Jamaica in 1661 under Royal Warrant. The original was designed by William Sancroft, then Archbishop of
Canterbury. The motto of the seal has been a matter of discussion for years since inception. The original motto, INDVS VTERQVE SERVIET VNI is the Latin
translation for "The two Indians will serve as one", or rather "Both
Indies will serve Together", in reference to the collective servitude of
the Taino and
Arawak Indians to the colonizers. The motto was replaced in 1962 with the English motto "Out of Many, One People",
as tribute to the unity of the
different cultural minorities inhabiting
the nation. Perhaps as coincidence, the motto has the same meaning as
the motto of the United States E Pluribus
Unum. The Jamaican coat of arms has seen quite a number of changes, but only
three are officially recorded. These changes occurred in 1906, 1957 and
1962.