Behind the shield

Azure, on waves of the sea in base Argent, a ship oars in action Or, pennant flying, and in full sail Argent; on a chief Argent, a closed book Gules, edges and clasps Or. Supporter behind the shield: A linden eradicated Sable, leaved Vert, fructed Or. Motto: «Ubi concordia ibi victoria» Sable over a scroll Or.

Escudo de azur, en punta un mar ondado de plata sumado de un barco con remos de oro, con vela y gallardete de plata; en un jefe de plata, un libro cerrado y brochado de oro, tapas de gules. Sostenido por un tilo arrancado de sable, hojado de sinople, frutado de oro acolado detrás del escudo. Lema: «Ubi concordia ibi victoria» de sable sobre una filacteria de oro.

Coat of arms devised by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, with a pointed outer contour and with a texturized finish.

The coat of arms of the Strategy Department of Consultoria.IO designed by Ignacio Perez de Bartolome and me and emblazoned by me. Consultoria.IO is a consulting firm specialized in scale-up e-commerce stores.

Design rationale

Teamwork navigating towards a common goal (lymphad with sail and oars), keeping trade secrets (book with clasps), and solidity in support and growth (linden). The motto «Ubi concordia ibi victoria» means «Where there is unity, there is victory». It conveys the idea that success arises from harmony and collaboration between the team and its clients, working together toward shared goals.

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Argent, Or, Gules, Sable, Vert, One, Wavy, Sea, In base, On, Ship, Oar, Sail, Chief, Closed book, Book, Clasped, Supporter (thing), Supporter, Behind the shield, Linden, Eradicated, Leaved, Fructed, Motto and Scroll.

Style keywords: Illuminated, Pointed and Plain tincture.

Classification: Socioeconomic, Created, Boa, Coat of arms, Pennon and Flag.

Bearer: Strategy Department of Consultoria.IO.

Azure, two barbels addorsed Argent. Behind the shield an eight-pointed cross patty Gules.

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Blazon keywords: Azure, Two, Barbel, Addorsed, Argent, Behind the shield, One, Eight-pointed cross, Cross couped and Gules.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Semi-circular, Illuminated and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Montbard, André de.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable [for Castile]; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or [for Leon]; 3 Or, four pallets Gules [for Aragon]; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert [for Navarre]; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert [for Granada]; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules [for Bourbon]. Crest: A closed royal crown. The shield is surrounded by the Golden Fleece. Behind the shield, a crimson oval fimbriated Or.

Heraldic device depicted by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, outlined in Sable, with an oval external shape and with a metal and iridescent finishing.

Badge of the Household of His Majesty the King Felipe VI of Spain emblazoned by me. According to the official description, it consists of a brass oval whose major axis, in vertical position, measures 35 millimetres in length and whose minor axis measures 30 millimetres. The obverse is enamelled in crimson and surrounded by a gilded border one millimetre wide along its entire perimeter. In this case, crimson is not treated as a heraldic tincture, but merely as a chromatic description.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Closed royal crown, Crown, Surrounded, Collar, Behind the shield and Fimbriated.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular, Oval and Metal and iridescent.

Classification: Personal, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa and Badge.

Bearer: Felipe VI of Spain.

Or, a chief Gules. Behind the shield a cross patty Gules.

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Blazon keywords: Or, Chief, Gules, Behind the shield, One, Cross patty and Cross couped.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Semi-circular, Illuminated and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Tremelay, Bernard de.

Barry of four per pale counterchanged Or and Gules. Behind the shield a cross patty Gules.

The cross patty behind the shield has been diapered with Chinapieria.

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Blazon keywords: Barry per pale counterchanged, Four, Or, Gules, Behind the shield, One, Cross patty and Cross couped.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Semi-circular, Illuminated, Freehand, Diapered and Chinapieria.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Blanchefort, Bertrand de.

Grand Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand.

Argent, a cross of Alcantara. Crest: A closed royal crown Or, with eight arches, visible five. Behind the shield the Laureate Grand Cross of Saint Ferdinand. Motto: «Hoec nubila tollunt obstantia sicut sol».

Escudo de plata, una cruz de Alcántara. Timbrado de una corona real cerrada. Acolada detrás del escudo la gran cruz laureada de San Fernando. Lema: «Hoec nubila tollunt obstantia sicut sol».

Coat of arms interpreted in the following manner: the shape of the shield is of a semicircular arch; the field is illuminated in metal Argent; the cross of Alcantara, the 4 swords and the 2 laurel branches are outlined in Sable and illuminated in Vert and Gules; the royal crown is closed, outlined in Sable and illuminated with the metal Or, Argent for the pearls, Azure and Or for the orb, Gules and Vert for the gems, Gules for the inner cloth, and Sable for the visible hollow at its base; and the whole has a iridescent finish.

Rif War, July 23, 1921, banks of the Igan River, North Africa

The Alcantara Regiment executed nine successive cavalry charges to protect the infantry's retreat, nine charges until they broke the enemy lines, outnumbering them. The last charge was on foot because all their horses were dead or exhausted. These heroic riders of Alcantara had fulfilled their duty of protecting the wounded infantry in their retreat to El Batel, but the price was appalling: of 691 riders, only 67 survived, and three months were necessary to recover hundreds of corpses.

For this reason, in 2012, the Alcántara Regiment was collectively awarded the Grand Laureate Cross of Saint Ferdinand.

Two lances behind the shield

Since 1987, the coat of arms of the cavalry regiments of the Spanish Army must carry two crossed lances accolade behind the shield. And indeed, this coat of arms of the Alcántara Cavalry Regiment has two lances behind the shield, but in my artistic heraldic interpretation, I did not paint them to avoid detracting from the prominence of the Laureate Cross.

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Blazon keywords: Without divisions, Argent, Cross of Alcantara, Cross couped, Cross, Crest, Closed royal crown, Crown, Behind the shield, Four, Sword, Crosswise, Gules, Two, Branch, Laurel, Vert and Motto.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated, Outlined in sable and Iridescent.

Classification: Interpreted, Military, Army and Navy and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Alcantara, Cavalry Regiment.

Gules, a beaver erect Or, armed and tailed Argent, bearing on his dexter shoulder a sword Argent, hilted Or; on a chief embattled of Renaissance crenellations Or three fleurs de lis Azure. Crest: Upon a helm with a wreath Or, Azure, and Gules a beaver issuant, crowned and winged Or, armed and tailed Argent, holding a pole Or flying a long swallow-tailed flag per fess Azure and Gules, overall a double cross patty fitchy Or. Mantling: On the dexter Azure doubled Or and on the sinister Gules doubled Or. Behind the shield: A cross of St. Barachiel Or. Motto: «Si vis pacem para bellum» Or over a scroll Azure doubled Or.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me, illuminated with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with an ogee external shape and with a leather finishing.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Or, Argent, Azure, One, Three, Beaver, Erect, Armed, Tailed, Grasping, Dexter, Shoulder, Sword, Hilted, Chief, Embattled, Fleur de lis, Crest, Helm, Wreath, Issuant, Crowned, Winged, Swallow-tail, Party per fess, Overall, Patriarchal cross, Cross couped, Patty, Fitchy, Mantling, Doubled, Sinister, Behind the shield, Cross of Saint Barachiel, Motto and Scroll.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Ogee and Leather.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Boa, Coat of arms, Pennon and Flag.

Bearer: Bobor, Jan.

Argent, a tree eradicated proper, in chief an escallop reversed Gules, between two flies pilewise proper. Crest: A galero Sable with two cords, one on each side, each with six tassels Gules. Motto: «No Fear In Love». Behind the shield, the cross of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. The shield is surrounded by the cross of a Knight Commander of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Arms interpreted by me, highlighted with lights and shadows, contoured in Sable, with a pointed external shape and with a freehand finish.

G0117, Chief Herald of Arms of Malta's grant for the arms of the Reverend John Muscat, Honorary Monsignor of the Canon Chapter, Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Assumption, Gozo. These arms have been emblazoned by me for such grant.

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Blazon keywords: Argent, Gules, One, Two, Six, Tree, Eradicated, Proper, In chief, Escallop, Between, Fly, Pilewise, Crest, Galero, Cord, Tassel, Motto, Behind the shield, Cross, Surrounded and Decoration.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Pointed and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Interpreted, Boa and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Muscat, John.

Argent, a cross Azure. Behind the shield a cross patty Gules.

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Blazon keywords: Argent, One, Cross, Azure, Behind the shield, Cross patty, Cross couped and Gules.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Hérail, Gilbert.

Azure, a bend Or. Behind the shield an eight-pointed cross patty Gules.

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Blazon keywords: Azure, One, Bend, Or, Behind the shield, Eight-pointed cross, Cross couped and Gules.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Molay, Jacques de.

Quarterly: 1 Gules, a castle triple-towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or; 3 Or, four pallets Gules; 4 Gules, a chain orlewise, crosswise, and saltirewise Or, charged in the fess point with an emerald Vert; enté en point Argent, a pomegranate proper, seeded Gules, slipped and leaved Vert; an inescutcheon Azure, three fleurs de lis Or, 2 and 1, a bordure Gules. Crest: A closed royal crown. Supporters: two columns Argent, capital and base Or, between in base waves Azure, in chief an imperial crown the dexter and a closed royal crown the sinister. Moto environing the columns and behind the shield: «Plus Ultra» Or over a scroll Gules.

Arms of the Kingdom of Spain. This image combines three photographs of this coat of arms on the façade of the Ministry of Defence building on the Paseo de la Castellana in Madrid, just a few metres from my office, together with my own artistic interpretation of the same arms. In the version on the façade of the Ministry of Defence, the crowns above the columns do not touch the columns, which I believe is the correct way to depict them, although the central crown does appear to rest upon the shield of Spain. There are more interpretations that place the crowns resting on the columns than those that do not, and I photographed this particular version from the Ministry of Defence because it is especially relevant due to its size and institutional significance. On the arrangement of the crowns: a) Royal Decree 1511/1977, of 21 January, enacted during the so-called Transition and approving the Regulations on Flags and Standards, Guidons, Insignia and Distinctive Signs, states: «Rule No. 2. Coat of Arms of Spain… Accompanied by two columns Argent, with base and capital Or, set upon waves Azure or blue and Argent», «superado» «by an imperial crown on the dexter one and by a royal crown on the sinister one…». b) The subsequent Law 33/1981, of 5 October, regulating the current coat of arms of Spain, likewise states: «…Accompanied by two columns Argent, with base and capital Or, set upon waves Azure or blue and Argent», «superado» «by an imperial crown on the dexter one and by a royal crown on the sinister one». c) The term «superado» in the heraldic dictionaries in which it appears refers, as a synonym, to «surmontado». d) The definitions of «surmontado» include: «a charge which, at its upper part, has another above it but without touching it», «also said of superado», and «a figure that bears another above it, but without touching it». In light of a), b), c) and d), the two crowns should therefore be painted not touching the columns. However, in the illustrative drawing contained in Royal Decree 1511/1977 the crowns do touch the columns, contradicting its own wording, although in heraldry, when in doubt, the written blazon always prevails; and in most official representations the crowns do indeed touch the columns. Nevertheless, this personal interpretation of both the coat of arms of Spain and of the proper way to write its blazon, where the lateral crowns do not touch the columns, and then I decide that, following the same criterion, the central crown should not touch the shield either, so the result differs from the official version.

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Blazon keywords: Gules, Azure, Purpure, Vert, Or, Argent, One, Two, Three, Four, Quarterly, Castle, Triple-towered, Port and windows, Masoned, Lion, Rampant, Crowned, Pallet, Chain, Orlewise, Crosswise, Saltirewise, Charged, In the fess point, Emerald, Enté en point, Pomegranate, Proper, Slipped, Leaved, Inescutcheon, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Bordure, Closed royal crown, Crown, Supporter (thing), Supporter, Column, Shafted, Between, In base, Wave, In chief, Imperial crown, Dexter, Sinister, Motto, Environed, Behind the shield and Scroll.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated and Semi-circular.

Classification: Civic, Kingdom of Spain, Interpreted, Boa, Photographic and Collage.

Bearer: Spain, Kingdom of.

Party per pale: 1 Gules, a castle triple towered Or, port and windows Azure, masoned Sable; 2 Argent, a lion rampant Purpure, armed and langued Gules, crowned Or. Crest: An open royal crown. Behind the shield a cross of Alcantara.

Escudo partido: 1^o de gules, un castillo de oro, aclarado de azur, mazonado de sable; 2^o de plata, un león rampante de púrpura, armado y lampasado de gules, coronado de oro. Timbrado de una corona real abierta. Acolada detrás del escudo una cruz de Alcántara.

Civic coat of arms interpreted by me as follows: the shield of arms has a semicircular (round) base; the quarters are enameled and illuminated in the tinctures Argent and Gules; the castle, the lion, the Cross of Alcántara and the crown are illuminated; the lion and its crown are outlined in the colour of the field; the open royal crown, the Cross of Alcántara and the castle are outlined in Sable; the Cross of Alcántara is fimbriated Or; and the whole has a watercolor finish.

In [Medél, R.; 1846; plate 35, illustration 5] one can see his interpretation of the Cross of Alcántara.

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Blazon keywords: Argent, Purpure, Gules, Or, Azure, Party per pale, Castle, Lion, Port and windows, Masoned, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Crowned, Crest and mantling, Crown, Open royal crown, Behind the shield, Cross, Cross of Alcantara and Cross couped.

Style keywords: Semi-circular, Illuminated and Watercolor.

Classification: Interpreted, Civic and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Cáceres, Province of.

Vair. Behind the shield an eight-pointed cross patty Gules.

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Blazon keywords: Vair, Behind the shield, One, Eight-pointed cross, Cross couped and Gules.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Vichiers, Renaud de.

Or, six annulets Gules, 3, 2, and 1. Behind the shield an eight-pointed cross patty Gules.

The eight-pointed cross patty behind the shield has been diapered with Chinapieria.

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Blazon keywords: Or, Six, Annulet, Gules, Ordered, Three, Two, One, Behind the shield, Eight-pointed cross and Cross couped.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Semi-circular, Illuminated, Freehand, Diapered and Chinapieria.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Richard, Richard.

Lozengy Or and Gules. Behind the shield a cross patty Gules.

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Blazon keywords: Lozengy, Or, Gules, Behind the shield, One, Cross patty and Cross couped.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Semi-circular and Freehand.

Classification: Religious, Military, Knights Templar, Interpreted and Coat of arms.

Bearer: Craon, Robert de.

Quarterly: 1 and 4 Vert, a crescent within eight mullets in lozenge Or; 2 and 3 Azure, a chain fesswise throughout between three fleurs de lis, 2 and 1, all the links and fleurs de lis per pale Or and Argent; an inescutcheon Azure, bearing a crown of count, charged with an eagle displayed within a bordure Or. Crest: A crown of Baron. Behind the shield the cross of a Knight of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem.

Coat of arms emblazoned by me with a pointed shape, illuminated, and with a watercolor finishing.

G0067, Chief Herald of Malta's grant of Robert George Alexander Balchin's arms, whose full achievement has been emblazoned by me for such grant.

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Blazon keywords: Quarterly, Vert, One, Crescent, Eight, Mullet, In lozenge, Or, Azure, Chain, Fesswise, Throughout, Between, Three, Fleur de lis, Ordered, Party per pale, Argent, Inescutcheon, Crest and mantling, Crown of Count, Crown, Charged, Eagle, Bordure, Crown of Baron, Behind the shield and Cross.

Style keywords: Outlined in sable, Illuminated, Watercolor and Pointed.

Classification: Personal, Interpreted, Coat of arms and Doctor.

Bearer: Balchin, Robert George Alexander.

My heraldic channel at WhatsApp is whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbAV5sk3LdQbvWgP4p43 or blason.es/whatsapp.

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Categories: Technology, Social networks, Lion, Rampant, Armed, Langued, Label, Behind the shield, Eight-pointed cross and Cross couped.