Naitional Seembol o Fraunce

The current emblem o Fraunce haes been a seembol o Fraunce syne 1953, awtho it daes no hae ony legal status as an offeecial coat o airms. It appears on the cover o French passports an wis oreeginally adoptit bi the French Foreign Ministry as a seembol for uise bi diplomatic an consular missions in 1912 uisin a design drawn up bi the sculptor Jules-Clément Chaplain.

In 1953, Fraunce received a request frae the Unitit Naitions for a copy o the naitional coat o airms tae be displayed alangside the coats o airms o ither member states in its assembly chamber. An interministerial commission requested Robert Louis (1902–1965), heraldic airtist, tae produce a version o the Chaplain design. This did no, housomeivver, constitute an adoption o an offeecial coat o airms bi the Republic.

Technically speakin, it is an emblem rather than a coat o airms, syne it daes no respect heraldic rules—heraldry bein seen as an aristocratic airt, an therefore associatit wi the Ancien Régime. The emblem consists o:

• A wide shield wi, on the ane end a lion-heid an on the ither an eagle-heid, bearin a monogram "RF" staundin for République Française (French Republic).
• A laurel brainch seembolises victory o the Republic.
• An aik brainch seembolises perennity or wisdom.
• The fasces, a seembol associatit wi juistice (the bundle o rods an an axe, carried bi Roman lictors).

In September 1999, the French govrenment adoptit a unique offeecial identifier for its communication, incorporatin the Republic's motto, the colours o the banner, an Marianne, the Republic's personification.

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  The seembol is uised on plaques markin French consulates