The coat of arms of Colchester is the arms and other insignia associated with the town of Colchester, England.
The shield is more commonly used than the full arms. There are two versions of the arms that are commonly seen. The first was in use from around the 1550 to 1915; the other the intervening periods between 1413 and present.
The current arms, which are officially assigned to Colchester Borough Council by the College of Arms, were first used after being granted by King Henry V in 1413, when the town was granted a new charter. These early arms featured inscriptions like QUAM CRUX INSIGNIT HELENAM COLCHESTERIA GIGNET and COLCESTRIENSIS SUM BURGI COMMUNE SIGILLUM. The shield shows a cross, with three crowns, one of each 'arm' and one encircling the foot of the cross, each supported by a nail. There was, and is, also question over whether there should be three nails or four. The shield can be blazoned Gules four Pieces of Wood raguly conjoined in a cross proper each side arm transfixed with a Nail palewise Sable ensigned by an Ancient Crown Or and that in base enfiling a like Crown and transfixed by a like Nail in bend.
In 1976, the coat of arms was extended with the addition of a crest, a torse of red and white, topped with roses of the same colours rising from which is a female figure, holding a Cross, which can be blazoned On a Wreath of the Colours issuant from a Chaplet of Roses alternately Gules and Argent a Female Figure habited Azure and Veiled Argent crowned Or holding a Passion Cross Or.; supporters of a fisherman in the sinister (observer's right) and a Roman soldier in the dexter (observer's left). The motto No Cross, No Crown was added. These additions are not generally used. As of 1989, these arms had never been used. Until this standardisation, the official description included detail on the type of ragules on the wood and the direction of the wood.
The current arms are a direct reference to Saint Helena, the patron saint of Colchester, believed to have been born there. The charter is the inscription Sancta Elana nata fuit in Colcestria. Mater Constani fuit et Sanctam Crucem invenit Elana (St. Helen was born in Colchester. Helen was the mother of Constantine and she found the Holy Cross). The cross is believed to be the True Cross, which Saint Helena is supposed to have found. The red background represents the blood of Christ; the nail the Holy Nails. The crowns are representative of the crowns of the Magi, the bodies of whom Saint Helena is supposed to have found. The four shafts are joined in a fylfot, a symbol of good fortune.
When Colchester United was founded in 1937, it adopted this coat of arms as the club badge. This was changed in 1972 after a disagreement with the Council over use of the arms. Colchester Town also used these arms as their badge.
The Bishop of Colchester bears no arms.
Official blazon
Gules a Cross raguly couped proper the arms joined in fylfot between two Ducal Coronets in chief Or the bottom part of the cross enfiled with a Ducal Coronet of the last beneath each coronet a Nail of the first each piercing the cross.
Origin/meaning
These are not registered with the College of arms but are obviously very ancient.
The coat of arms first appeared on the Royal Charter granted by Henry V in 1413. The red represents the blood of Christ; the green cross, the living cross of Saint Helena; the three crowns, the three Kings from the Nativity Story; and the nails holding the three crowns, the nails which held Christ to the cross.
St. Helena was traditionally born in Colchester in the 3rd Century AD. In the early fourth century she made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and discovered the true cross growing as a tree at Golgotha. Later she is said to have discovered relics of the Magi, now in Cologne (Köln) Cathedral. Three crowns also appear in the arms of Cologne.
The arms were altered at the time of reformation so as not to appear idolatrous. The living cross was changed to two white ragged staves and the nails were removed. These arms were confirmed in 1558 and recorded in use in 1634. The town council reverted to the original arms in 1915.