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Coat of Arms, Bexar County - Divided into four quarters topped by a coronet, the coat of arms of Bexar County has been described by heraldic experts. Represented at the upper left are the arms of Don Alvaro de Zuniga, Duke of Bexar in Spain, including the gold chains of Navarro, which in Spain corresponded to today's United States Medal of Honor. At upper right, Mission San Francisco de Espada represents the works of the Spanish missionaries. The eagle on
Coat of Arms, San Antonio - San Antonio's coat of arms was designed and approved about 25 years ago. The two-part shield is surmounted by a castle coronet, representing the municipality. On the left is the coat of arms of Saint Anthony of Padua, the son of a Portuguese nobleman. It was adapted from his father's. The "T," or Tau cross, indicates that Anthony was a priest. The ermine tails dotting the lower left were on the coat of arms of the saint's father. On the right side of the shield,
a red background, or field, represents the blood shed for Texas liberty. The star represents the Republic and State of Texas. The Battle of the Alamo is represented by the former mission church. The Latin Libertatis Cunabula means "Cradle of Liberty."
The coat of arms was designed by Thomas A. Wilson and illustrated by Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez, with the cooperation and approval of the Spanish government and appropriate organizations in both Texas and Spain. The City Council of San Antonio adopted the coat of arms on February 17, 1972. (Photo courtesy Institute of Texan Cultures)
the lower left represents both the Aztec eagle of Mexico and the American bald eagle. At lower right, the cannon represents the battles for independence of the Republic of Texas as well as the Texan support of the Confederacy in the Civil War. The coronet surmounting the quadrants of the shield represents a duke of Spain.
The coat of arms was designed by Thomas A. Wilson and illustrated by Ramon Vasquez y Sanchez, with the cooperation and approval of the Spanish government and appropriate organizations in both Texas and Spain. The Bexar County Commissioner's Court adopted the coat of arms for the county of Bexar on December 22, 1971. (Photo courtesy Institute of Texan Cultures)
*Published with permission from the San Antonio Express-News
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