Coat of arms of Colchester
| Coat of arms of Colchester | |
|---|---|
| Armiger | Colchester City Council |
| Crest | On a Wreath of the Colours issuant from a Chaplet of Roses alternately Gules and Argent a Female Figure habited Azure and Veiled Argent crowned Or holding a Passion Cross Or |
| Shield | Gules four Pieces of Wood raguly conjoined in a cross proper each side arm transfixed with a Nail palewise Sable ensigned by an Ancient Crown Or and that in base enfiling a like Crown and transfixed by a like Nail in bend |
| Supporters | To the dexter a Roman Centurion habited and holding in his dexter hand a Short Sword proper and to the sinister an Oyster Fisherman habited and holding in his sinister hand a Length of Rope proper each standing on a Compartment comprising a Grassy Mound proper and an Estuary barry wavy Argent and Azure |
| Motto | 'No cross, no crown' |
The coat of arms of Colchester was first granted to the city by Henry V in 1413.
The shield is more commonly used than the full arms. There are two versions of the arms that are commonly seen. The first was in use from c. 1550 to 1915, and the other from 1415 to c. 1550 and from 1915 to the present.