Union of South Africa, 1910

In 1910, King George V had issued a royal warrant for a coat of arms for the Union of South Africa. It featured a shield with, in each quarter, a symbol of the four provinces of South Africa. An ox-wagon stood for Transvaal, a woman with an anchor for the Cape Province, two gnus (wildebeest) for Natal and an orange tree for the Orange Free State Province. On the crest of the arms was a lion on a red-and-white bar holding four bound sticks; the supporters were a springbok and a gemsbok. Below the shield was an orange scroll with the Latin motto, “EX UNITATE VIRES” (‘Union Is Strength’).