List of personal coats of arms of vice presidents of the United States

Last updated April 12, 2024

Several United States vice presidents have borne a coat of arms; largely through inheritance, assumption, or grants from foreign heraldic authorities. The vice president of the United States, as a position, uses the seal of the vice president of the United States as a coat of arms, but this is a coat of arms of office, not a personal coat of arms.

Arms of vice presidents by century

18th century

Arms	Name of vice president and blazon
	Arms of John Adams, 1st vice president, 1789–1797: Shield: Gules six crosses-crosslet fitchy Argent, on a chief Or three pellets, the center one charged with a fleur-de-lys and the other two with lions passant guardant Argent. Crest: A Lion passant holding in his dexter paw a cross-crosslet fitchy Argent. Motto:Libertatem amicitiam retinebis et fidem (Freedom, friendship and fidelity).^[1]
	Arms of Thomas Jefferson, 2nd vice president, 1797–1801: Shield: Azure a fret and on a chief Gules three leopards' faces Argent Crest: A lion's head erased Or. Motto:Ab eo libertas a quo spiritus (The one who gives life gives liberty).^[1]

19th century

Arms	Name of vice president and blazon
—	Aaron Burr, 3rd vice president, 1801–1805: No arms known
	Arms of George Clinton, 4th vice president, 1805–1812: Shield: Argent, six cross crosslets fitchy Sable on a chief Azure two mullets Or pierced Gules Crest: Out of a ducal coronet Gules a plume of five ostrich feathers Argent banded by a ribbon Azure Motto:Cara patria, carior libertas (Dear fatherland, dearer freedom)
—	Elbridge Gerry, 5th vice president, 1813–1814: No arms known
	Arms of Daniel D. Tompkins, 6th vice president, 1817–1825: Shield: Azure, on a chevron between three cock-pheasants close Or three cross-crosslets Sable Crest: A unicorn's head, erased, per fess, Argent and Or, armed and maned, counterchanged, gorged with a chaplet of laurel, Vert.
	Arms of John C. Calhoun, 7th vice president, 1825–1832: Shield: Argent, a saltire engrailed Sable Crest: A hart's head couped Gules attired Argent Supporters: Two ratch-hounds Argent, collared Sable Motto:Si je puis (If I may)
	Arms of Martin van Buren, 8th vice president, 1833–1837: Shield: Per pale, Or a greyhound rampant contourny Gules, and Gules two bars embattled-counterembattled Or Crest: A greyhound rampant between the wings of a vol Gules and Or.^[2]
—	Richard Mentor Johnson, 9th vice president, 1837–1841: No arms known
—	John Tyler, 10th vice president, 1841: No arms known
—	George M. Dallas, 11th vice president, 1845–1849: No arms known
—	Millard Fillmore, 12th vice president, 1849–1850: No arms known
—	William R. King, 13th vice president, 1853: No arms known
—	John C. Breckinridge, 14th vice president, 1857–1861: No arms known
—	Hannibal Hamlin, 15th vice president, 1861–1865: No arms known
—	Andrew Johnson, 16th vice president, 1865: No arms known
—	Schuyler Colfax, 17th vice president, 1869–1873: No arms known
—	Henry Wilson, 18th vice president, 1873–1875: No arms known
—	William A. Wheeler, 19th vice president, 1877–1881: No arms known
	Arms of Chester A. Arthur, 20th vice president, 1881: Shield: Gules a chevron Argent between three rests (clarions) Or. Crest: A falcon rising proper belled and jessed Or. Motto:Impelle obstantia (Thrust aside obstacles).^[3]
—	Thomas A. Hendricks, 21st vice president, 1885: No arms known
—	Levi P. Morton, 22nd vice president, 1889–1893: No arms known
—	Adlai Stevenson I, 23rd vice president, 1893–1897 No arms known
—	Garret Hobart, 24th vice president, 1897–1899: No arms known

20th century

Arms	Name of vice president and blazon
	Arms of Theodore Roosevelt, 25th vice president, 1901: Shield: Argent upon a grassy mound a rose bush proper bearing three roses Gules barbed and seeded proper Crest: From a wreath Argent and Gules three ostrich plumes each per pale Gules and Argent Motto:Qui plantavit curabit (He who planted will preserve).^[4]
—	Charles W. Fairbanks, 26th vice president, 1905–1909: No known arms
	Arms of James S. Sherman, 27th vice president, 1909–1912: Shield: Or, a Lion rampant Sable between three oak leaves Vert Crest: A sea lion, sejant Sable charged on the shoulder with three bezants, two and one
—	Thomas R. Marshall, 28th vice president, 1913–1921: No arms known
	Arms of Calvin Coolidge, 29th vice president, 1921–1923: Attributed by Henry Bond, no evidence Calvin Coolidge ever bore these arms.^[5] Shield: Vert a griffin segreant Or. Crest: A demi-griffin segreant Or. Motto:Virtute et fide (By valor and faith)
—	Charles G. Dawes, 30th vice president, 1925–1929: No arms known
—	Charles Curtis, 31st vice president, 1929–1933: No arms known
—	John Nance Garner, 32nd vice president, 1933–1941: No arms known
—	Henry A. Wallace, 33rd vice president, 1941–1945: No arms known
—	Harry S. Truman, 34th vice president, 1945: No arms known
—	Alben W. Barkley, 35th vice president, 1949–1953 No arms known
—	Arms of Richard Nixon, 36th vice president, 1953–1961: No known arms
	Arms of Lyndon Johnson, 37th vice president, 1961–1963: Shield: Azure on a saltire Gules fimbriated Argent between four eagles displayed a mullet Or. Crest: On a wreath of the colors an armed hand Argent supporting an eagle rising Or. Motto:Nobilitatis virtus non stemma character (Virtue, not lineage, is the mark of nobility)
—	Hubert Humphrey, 38th vice president, 1965–1969: No arms known
	Arms of Spiro Agnew, 39th vice president, 1969–1973: Shield: Azure, on a cross between four horses' heads couped Argent, a cross botonny Gules Crest: A hand couped proper holding a sceptre of office Supporters: Dexter a Greek statesman and sinister a Greek warrior both proper. Motto: Do all good
—	Gerald Ford, 40th vice president, 1973–1974: No arms known
—	Nelson Rockefeller, 41st vice president, 1974–1977: No arms known
—	Walter Mondale, 42nd vice president, 1977–1981: No arms known
—	George H. W. Bush, 43rd vice president, 1981–1989: No arms known
—	Dan Quayle, 44th vice president, 1989–1993: No arms known
—	Al Gore, 45th vice president, 1993–2001: No arms known

21st century

Arms	Name of vice president and blazon
—	Dick Cheney, 46th vice president, 2001–2009: No arms known
—	Joe Biden, 47th vice president, 2009–2017: No arms known
—	Mike Pence, 48th vice president, 2017–2021: No arms known
—	Kamala Harris, 49th vice president, 2021–present: No arms known

Related Research Articles

Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings, as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known branch of heraldry, concerns the design and transmission of the heraldic achievement. The achievement, or armorial bearings usually includes a coat of arms on a shield, helmet and crest, together with any accompanying devices, such as supporters, badges, heraldic banners and mottoes.

In heraldry, tenné is a "stain", or non-standard tincture, of orange, light brown or orange-tawny colour.

The coat of arms of Nova Scotia is the heraldic symbol representing the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. It is the oldest provincial achievement of arms in Canada, and the oldest British coat of arms in use outside Great Britain. It is blazoned as follows: Argent, a saltire azure charged with an escutcheon of the Royal Arms of Scotland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadency</span> System in heraldry to distinguish family members

In heraldry, cadency is any systematic way to distinguish arms displayed by descendants of the holder of a coat of arms when those family members have not been granted arms in their own right. Cadency is necessary in heraldic systems in which a given design may be owned by only one person at any time, generally the head of the senior line of a particular family.

The coat of arms of Ireland is blazoned as Azure a harp Or, stringed Argent. These arms have long been Ireland's heraldic emblem. References to them as being the arms of the king of Ireland can be found as early as the 13th century. These arms were adopted by Henry VIII of England when he ended the period of Lordship of Ireland and declared Ireland to be a kingdom again in 1541. When the crowns of England, Scotland and Ireland were united in 1603, they were integrated into the unified royal coat of arms of kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland. The harp was adopted as the emblem of the Irish Free State when it separated from the United Kingdom in 1922. They were registered as the arms of Ireland with the Chief Herald of Ireland on 9 November 1945.

The Heraldry Society of Scotland was founded in 1977 with the aim of improving the study of heraldry.

Heraldry in Scotland, while broadly similar to that practised in England and elsewhere in western Europe, has its own distinctive features. Its heraldic executive is separate from that of the rest of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Committee on Heraldry of the New England Historic Genealogical Society</span>

The Committee on Heraldry of the New England Historic Genealogical Society, established in 1864, is the world's oldest non-governmental body primarily concerned with heraldry.

Heraldry in the United States was first established by European settlers who brought with them the heraldic customs of their respective countries of origin. As the use of coats of arms may be seen as a custom of royalty and nobility, it had been debated whether the use of arms is reconcilable with American republican traditions. Families from English, Scottish, Irish, Welsh, German, and other European nations with a heraldic tradition have retained their familial coat of arms in the United States. Several founding fathers also employed personal arms and a great number of Americans continue to do so.

The coat of arms of Vermont is the official armorial bearings of the U.S. state of Vermont. Most of the elements found in the coat of arms originate in the Great Seal of Vermont designed by Ira Allen. Whereas the Great Seal of Vermont is reproduced in a single color and is reserved for embossing and authenticating state documents, the coat of arms is a more naturalistic and colorful representation of many of the same elements. The coat of arms of Vermont was first used in 1807 on $5 banknotes of the Vermont State Bank. One of these notes is in the special collections of the Vermont History Center in Barre, Vermont. Prior to the discovery of the 1807 banknotes, the earliest representation of the coat of arms of Vermont was found on an engraved 1821 state military commissions. The exact designer is not known, but it is likely that then Secretary of State Robert Temple worked with an engraver in developing the arms. Considerable liberties were taken in early depictions of the coat of arms. The location of the cow and the sheaves moved about the foreground, and the height of the pine tree and size of the buck's head also varied. A state statute was approved in 1840, and modified in 1862, both attempts to codify and create more consistent representation of the arms. The coat of arms was cast in brass to ornament uniforms of Vermont's military regiments before, and through the U.S. Civil War, when individual states raised and trained their own regiments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vermont Military Crest</span>

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The coat of arms of Munster consists of three gold crowns on a blue field. Similar crowns were included on the arms of Ireland before being superseded by the golden harp in the 16th century.

The wolf has been widely used in many forms in heraldry during the Middle Ages. Though commonly reviled as a livestock predator and man-eater, the wolf was also considered a noble and courageous animal, and frequently appeared on the arms and crests of numerous noble families. It typically symbolised the rewards of perseverance in long sieges or hard industry.

English heraldry is the form of coats of arms and other heraldic bearings and insignia used in England. It lies within the so-called Gallo-British tradition. Coats of arms in England are regulated and granted to individuals by the English kings of arms of the College of Arms. An individual's arms may also be borne 'by courtesy' by members of the holder's nuclear family, subject to a system of cadency marks, to differentiate those displays from the arms of the original holder. The English heraldic style is exemplified in the arms of British royalty, and is reflected in the civic arms of cities and towns, as well as the noble arms of individuals in England. Royal orders in England, such as the Order of the Garter, also maintain notable heraldic bearings.

The coats of arms of the U.S. states are coats of arms, that are an official symbol of the state, alongside their seal. Eighteen states have officially adopted coats of arms. The former independent Republic of Texas and Kingdom of Hawaii each had a separate national coat of arms, which are no longer used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea-lion</span> Half-cat half-fish mythic creature

In heraldry, the term sea-lion refers to a legendary creature that has the head and upper body of a lion, but with webbed forelimbs and a fish tail. These occur most frequently as supporters, but also occur as crests and occasionally as charges. Sea-lions are frequently found in "sejant" or "sejant-erect" attitudes, but may also be found "naiant" or "assurgeant".

The coat of arms of Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council was granted on 1 September 1965. The council is the local authority for Barking and Dagenham, Greater London, England.

New Zealand heraldry is the term for the style of armorial achievements, sometimes known as coats of arms, and other heraldic bearings and insignia used in New Zealand. It largely follows the Gallo-British tradition of heraldry also followed in England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada and Australia.

Historical coats of arms of the U.S. states date back to the admission of the first states to the Union. Despite the widely accepted practice of determining early statehood from the date of ratification of the United States Constitution, many of the original colonies referred to themselves as states shortly after the Declaration of Independence was signed on 4 July 1776. Committees of political leaders and intellectuals were established by state legislatures to research and propose a seal and coat of arms. Many of these members were signers of the Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, and United States Constitution. Several of the earliest adopted state coats of arms and seals were similar or identical to their colonial counterparts.

References

1 2 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Archived 2014-01-02 at the Wayback Machine American Heraldry Society's Website
↑ The Arms of Martin Van Buren Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine American Heraldry Society's Website
↑ The Arms Used by Chester A. Arthur Archived 2015-02-18 at the Wayback Machine American Heraldry Society's Website
↑ The Arms of Theodore Roosevelt Archived 2008-12-30 at the Wayback Machine American Heraldry Society's Website
↑ "John Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States | Presidents of the United States | Arms of Famous Americans | Heraldry in the USA | American Heraldry Society". www.americanheraldry.org. Retrieved 2020-08-23.

External links

American Heraldry Society
The Institute of Heraldry, Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army

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[Signers_of_the_Declaration-1] 1 2 Signers of the Declaration of Independence Archived 2014-01-02 at the Wayback Machine American Heraldry Society's Website

[2] The Arms of Martin Van Buren Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine American Heraldry Society's Website

[3] The Arms Used by Chester A. Arthur Archived 2015-02-18 at the Wayback Machine American Heraldry Society's Website

[4] The Arms of Theodore Roosevelt Archived 2008-12-30 at the Wayback Machine American Heraldry Society's Website

[5] "John Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States | Presidents of the United States | Arms of Famous Americans | Heraldry in the USA | American Heraldry Society". www.americanheraldry.org. Retrieved 2020-08-23.

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