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These arms were first granted by the Spanish Crown in 1511, and are the oldest arms still used in the New World. It was officially re-adopted by the Commonwealth government is 1976.
On the shield, the green background represents the island's vegetation. The lamb and flag on the shield are those of St. John the Baptist, while the book the lamb sits on represents the Book of Revelation, generally attributed to John_the_Evangelist. San Juan was the island's original name. The border is made up of several different elements: Castles and Lions to represent Castile and Leon, as well as a flag that represents the two Kingdoms united as Spain. The cross of Jeruslaem stands for the Catholic Religon. The F, Y, as well as the arrows represent Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile, who originally granted the arms. The motto, "Joannes Est Nomem Ejus", means "John is it's name", as San Juan, or St. John, was the original name of the island.
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