Last modified: 2008-08-23 by juan manuel gabino villasc�n
Keywords: iturbide (agustín de) | victoria (guadalupe) | peso de victoria | mexico | eagle | crown | crown (without) | empire | republic | juárez (benito) | maximilian | díz (porfirio) | pe�a (tomás de la) |
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Both the French interventionist Army headed by Gen. Forey and the Conservative Army entered Mexico City on June 10, 1863. Gen. Forey ordered on June 16 to form a Junta Superior de Gobierno who proclaimed the Empire, asking Archduke Maximilian of Habsbourg to take the throne. On July 13, the Junta was replaced by the Regencia del Imperio (Empire Regency), who adopted a new coat of amrs by decree of Sept. 20.
The Republican resistance (1862-1967) led by Benito Juárez García, at the time, Constitutional President of the United Mexican States, continued using the Republican flag with the most variety of versions of the coat of arms. Such a flag would be officially restored on July 15, 1867.
The April-14-1823 Decree was in effect until that of 1968 abolished it, not considering the Imperial Age (1863-1867). In the meantime, some republican governments occupied fruitlessly on determininig and unifying the correct position and other features Of the National Coat of arms, always basing on the 1823 Decree.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, March 14, 2002.
![[1823-1864/1823-1880 Mexican National Flag]](../images/m/mx_1823.gif)
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4:7![[Unofficial proportions]](../misc/_~~.gif){kind=small} ![[National Flag and ensign]](../misc/oooooo.gif){kind=small} ![[National (civil, state and war) Flag, and state and war ensign]](../misc/oooxoo.gif){kind=small}
From ca. 1840s. ![[Variant - this flag is one of several which could be displayed]](../misc/fis_vari.gif){kind=small} ![[Flag no longer in use]](../misc/fis_hist.gif){kind=small}
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![[Mexican Republic Coat of Arms]](../images/m/mx)1823.gif) |
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Both images by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán. Flag: March 14, 2002 Coat of arms: April 19, 2001 |
| Flag and coat of arms adopted: | By Decree of April 14, 1823. | |
| Flag and coat of arms abolished: | By Decree of September 20, 1863.1 | |
| Flag and coat of arms re-adopted: | July 15, 1867.1 | |
| Flag and coat of arms re-abolished: | September 15, 1968.1 | |
| Use: | On land: | Civil, state and war flag. |
| At sea: |
Civil (until about 1840s), state, and war ensign. Naval jack (torrotito de proa) | |
In 1823, when Iturbide fell,
the Congress decretedn that the crown hold by the eagle was to be removed, but
adding a half circle of green oak (encino)
and laurel branches.
Jorge Candeias, 27 Oct 1997, translating from La
Bandera Mexicana (website no longer available)
When the country became a Republic on April 14th, 1823, the
Constituent Congress changed the emblem, removing the crown and
adding oak and laurel branches below. These elements have lasted
until nowadays, though the eagle has changed from profile to
three-quarters" and to affronty.
Santiago Dotor, 29 Dec 1998, summarizing from http://dyred.sureste.com/club/6febrero/24feb.htm
(website no longer available)
![[1823 National Mexican Flag, official varinat used in 1881-1899]](../images/m/mx_1881.gif)
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![[1881 Mexican coat of arms]](../images/m/mx)1881.gif) |
| Both imgaes by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, April 15, 2001 |
| Flag and coat of arms adopted: | Apr. 14, 1823 | |
| Redefined: | January 1, 1881, by decree of Dec. 30, 1880. | |
| In use until: | December 31, 1898. | |
| Use: | On land: | Civil, state and war flag |
| At sea: | State, and war ensign. Naval jack (torrotito de proa) |
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In 1880 President Porfirio Díaz decided that the eagle have displayed wings,
following the French trend, and no crown (“Porfirist” flag).
Santiago Dotor, 29 Dec 1998, summarizing from http://dyred.sureste.com/club/6febrero/24feb.htm
(website no longer available)
This flag was adopted by decree of December 20, 1880, and came into effect on
January 1, 1881.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, April 15, 2001
The new arms were designed by Tomás de la Peña, at that time, a
Mexican great painter.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, April 15, 2001.
![[1823-National Flag, official variant used in 1899-1916]](../images/m/mx_1899.gif)
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2:3
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![[1823-Coat of arms 1899 version]](../images/m/mx)1899.gif) |
| Both images by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, March 5, 2002 |
| Flag and coat of arms adopted: | Apr. 14, 1823. | |
| Redefined: | January 1, 1899. | |
| In use until: | September 30, 1916. | |
| Use: | On land: | Civil, state and war flag. |
| At sea: |
State, and war ensign. Naval jack (torrotito de proa) | |
| Presidential (Supreme Commander) ensign since Jan. 1, 1912 | ||
Porfirio Díaz attempted by a decree to unify the National Coat of Arms; thus in 1899, he adopted another emblem, designed by Mexican sculptor Juan de Dios Fernández.
According the Ordenanza General del Ejército y la Armada, the only official document describes the flag, it should be proportioned 2:3.
The same flag but without Coat of Arms was used as merchant ensign.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 6, 2001
In 1899 was adopted a new emblem, worked by Mexican Denmark-educated Juan de Dios Fernández.
Following to Carrera Stampa, the Coat of Arms is
"..of French inspiration, this bird is not leanned as the previous one, but represented in front looking to its left with the wings displayed symmetrically. With the right grasp and beak subjects a curved snake whose head is over the eagle's. The other elements suffered alterations also. The nopal was reduced in its leaves, and some of them were added prickly pears. The stone seems rising roughly among the water, and the garland discreetly serves as base of the achievement..." .
With some acceptable variants, the Coat of Arms, was used until 1916, when Venustiano Carranza decided to re-adopt the indigenous form.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 6, 2001
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2:3 |
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| by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, April 6, 2001 |
| Flag and coat of arms adopted: | Apr. 14, 1823. | |
| Flag first hoisted: | September 15, 1917. | |
| In use until: | February 4, 1934. | |
| Use: | On land: | Civil, state and war flag. |
| At sea: |
State, and war ensign. Naval jack (torrotito de proa) | |
This is the flag adopted as national by Venustiano Carranza, at the time, self-proclaimed Chief of the Constitutionalist Army. It was first flown on September 15, 1917.
Venustiano Carranza was born in Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila
on Dec. 29, 1859. He was Senator for his native State during the
Porfirio Díaz's dictatorship. Through the proclamation of the
Plan of Guadalupe on March 26, 1913, Carranza unrecognized
Huerta's government, and proclaimed himself as Chief of the
Constitutionalist Army, as an effort to restore the order in the boiling country and
fullfiled the 1857 Constitution statements.
Through several victorious battles, Carranza and his army entered Mexico
City on August 20, 1914. He rejected the Interim Presidency -to avoid
reelection complications- but accepted being appointed as "Chief in Charge
of the Executive Power". Carranza ploclaimed on February 5, 1917, the
"Constitución Política de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos" (Political
Constitution of the Mexican United States), currently in effect.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, April 09, 2001
Don Venustiano Carranza, in 1916, decreed that the
Eagle in the National coat of arms was to be depicted in
profile and not in front as was used since the end of the
XIX century. Its shape is similar to the
present flag, but with several
differences.
Jorge Candeias, 27 Oct 1997, translating from
La Bandera Mexicana (website no longer available)
After defeating Victoriano Huerta, Venustiano Carranza decided to restore
the indigenous elements which were originally in the Coat of Arms, and on September
20th, 1916 decreed that the eagle be represented in profile looking
dexter/left, standing on a nopal which grows on a water-surrounded rock and
with oak and laurel branches beneath. The flags in the decrees of Presidents
Abelardo L. Rodríguez,
Gustavo Diaz Ordaz y
Miguel de la Madrid were, with
some changes the Carranza one, as is the current flag.
Santiago Dotor, 29 Dec 1998, summarizing from
http://dyred.sureste.com/club/6febrero/24feb.htm (website no longer available).
![[1916-1918 Mexican National Coat of Arms]](../images/m/mx)1916.gif)
by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, April 19, 2001
This is the Coat of Arms adopted by Venustiano Carranza and the Mexican Sovereign
Constitutionalist Congress by Decree of September 20, 1916; and published
in the Diario Oficial on September 25 of the same year.
The Decree states:
Diario Oficial de la Federación
25 de septiembre de 1916
PODER EJECUTIVO
SECRETARÍA DE ESTADO Y DEL DESPACHO DE INSTRUCCIÓN PÚBLICA Y BELLAS ARTES
REPÚBLICA MEXICANA(...)
Considering:
Article unique:I extend the following decree:
That the decree of April 14, 1823 is currently in effect, on which the Sovereign Constituyent Congress stated that national coat of arms shall be the Mexican eagle stood on its left claw over a nopal, that in turn, rises from a stone at a lagoon, and holding with its right claw a snake, simulating tearing the snake to pieces with its beak. The achivement will be surrounded by two branches, one of laurel, and the other of oak (...)
That this decree has been subjected to different interpretations, giving birth to an unending variety on the arms designs, lacking a precise form of the National Coat of arms (...)
The National Coat of Arms, whose model is stored and preserved in the Dirección General de Bellas Artes, is the only that should be used by the civilian authorities and the armed forces of the Republic, and by the diplomatic representatives and consuls accredited abroad. Authorized copies of this model will be distributed among the State governors and the public services subordinate of the Federal Government.
This decree will take effect next October 1. Therefore, I command it be printed, published, and distributed, and be given the correct fulfillment.
(...)
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, April 19, 2001
It is remarkable that the law did not make any description ot the Coat of Arms,
giving birth to more confusions.
Manuel Carrera Stampa describes the Coat of Arms as follows:
Note the descriptions proportioned by Mr. Stampa are exactly the same to those arms of 1823 (Peso de Victoria), 1916-1918, and 1934-1968 but there are slightly but significant differences among each other."It has a profiled eagle, looking to the right, with high-expanded wings, and the tail down. It is standing over its left grasp on a "nopal" (cactus) born from a stone, that in turn rises from the water, and grasping with the right one a rattlesnake hold also by the beak. A garland, made up by encino and laurel branches united in the lower part by a ribbon, surrounds the achievement".
The Coat of Arms is featured by its realistic shape, mainly inspired in the Peso de Victoria minted in 1823, while the 1934 arms are designed in a stylized form. Note that the number of nopal leaves in the 1916 version is 6 and plus three fruits (tunas); while in the 1934 one is just 4 (four) and three fruits.
The Coat of Arms was designed by Antonio Gómez R., at the time, painter of the Department of Archeology of the Museo Nacional de Arqueología, Historia y Etnografía (National Museum on Archeology, History and Ethnography).
The new adopted emblem was in used just for two years for such design did not satisfied Venustiano Carraza, who ordered to adopt a new draft worked also by Antonio Gómez R.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, April 19, 2001
![[1918 Coat of arms of Mexico]](../images/m/mx)1918.gif)
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, April 6, 2001
It seems, according to Carrera Stampa, that the 1916 version did not satisfied Venustiano Carranza, who ordered to adopt a new design, according to an official document that reads: "Escudo Nacional Aprobado por el C. Presidente de la República D. Venustiano Carranza. Palacio Nacional, 22 de Agosto de 1918" (National Coat of Arm approved by the Citizenship President of Republic Don Venustiano Carraza. Palacion Nacional -National Palace-, August 22, 1918).
The new design has the same featuring elements of the Mexican Coat of Arms: eagle, snake, nopal, stone, garland and ribbon. In this ocassion, the eagle is laying over its right profile (showing its left one), the head is remarkable bowed with the wings expanded but down, and the tail expanded and higher than its predecessor; the nopal is made up by 9 (nine) leaves, then, where added 3 (three)more than the former one.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, October 6, 2001
![[1823-National flag, official variant used in 1934-1968]](../images/m/mx_1934.gif)
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![[1934-1968 Mexican Coat of arms]](../images/m/mx)1934.gif) |
| Both images by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, April 19, 2001 |
| Flag and coat of arms adopted: | Apr. 14, 1823. | |
| Redefined: | February 5, 1934. | |
| In use until: | September 15, 1968. | |
| Note: |
This flag and coat of arms were the
last official versions of that adopted in 1823. |
|
| Use: | On land: | Civil, state and war flag. |
| At sea: |
State, and war ensign. Naval jack (torrotito de proa), until September 1945 | |
| Presidential (Supreme Commander) ensign since Jan. 1, 1912 | ||
Diario Oficial de la Federación
Lunes, 5 de febrero de 1934
PODER EJECUTIVO
SECRETARIA DE GOBERNACIÓN
DECRETO"ABELARDO L. RODRÍGUEZ,
Presidente Constitucional de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos
(...)"Article 1º:
It is adopted as the official design of the National Coat of Arms for their multiple uses, the one carefully auntentified with the signatures of the President of the Republic, of the President of the "Comisión Permanente" of the National Congress, of the President of the Supreme Court of Justice, and those of the citizens Secretaries of State, which is to be sent to the Archivo General de la Nación (General Archive of the Nation), and to the National Museum of Archeology, History and Ethnology. A model for coins and medals, shall be delivered to the Casa de la Moneda (Mint House).Artilce 3º:
This Coat of Arms, it its respective design shall be the only one to be used on flags, coins, medals, and official correspondence of the whole country, as much as the shield of the Embassies, delegations, and consulates abroad.Artilce 3º:
All copies did not correspond to the adopted models shall be forbiden according to the present decree.
Qouted and translated by Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, July 25, 2001.
The emblem was re-approved in 1934.
Rita Ramirez, January 16, 1998
On February 5th 1934 the flag and coat-of-arms models were
newly redefined and (its definition) kept in the National General
Archive.
Santiago Dotor, December 29, 1998,
translating from http://www.arts-history.mx/calendario/bandera.html
The Coat of Arms was designed by Jorge Enciso.
It is remarkable that the law did not make any description of the Coat of Arms,
giving birth to more confusions.
Manuel Carrera Stampa describes the Coat of Arms as follows:
" (...) It has a profiled eagle, looking to the right, with high-expanded wings, and the tail down. It is standing over its left grasp on a "nopal" (cactus) born from a stone, that in turn rises from the water, and grasping with the right one a rattlesnake hold also by the beak. A garland, made up by encino and laurel branches united in the lower part by a ribbon, surrounds the achievement" (...)
" (...) For seals and coins the Coat of Arms were added by a text reads: ESTADOS UNIDOS MEXICANOS written in the upper semicircle..."
"(...) The new Enciso's design was not designed following just rules of beauty, but he tried to follow a symbolic sense (...)"
There were official full-color versions on this Coat of Arms for flags, embassies, and consulates; official black-and-white versions were designed for coins, and seals.
Juan Manuel Gabino Villascán, July 25, 2001