Coat of arms of Moldova
The coat of arms of Moldova was introduced by law in 1994.
Description
The emblem consists of a gold -rimmed, horizontally divided red and blue shield.
It is the golden head of an aurochs, a eight-pointed gold star is between its horns.
To his right, the aurochs head is flanked by a golden rose on his left by a slightly inclined crescent.
The sign is on the chest of a red eagle reinforced natural color, in its beak a golden high cross, in the dexter claw an olive branch and holding a golden scepter in his left claw.
The coat of arms is also in the middle of the Moldovan tricolor gold stripes, which differentiates it clearly from the flags of Romania, Andorra and Chad.
Symbolism
The eagle is the historical emblem of Romania is, however, gold in today's Romanian coat of arms and carries a sword instead of the olive branch.
The head of the bison as a symbol of Moldova is united with symbols of Bessarabia.
The three-part tail points to the three regions of Gagauzia and Transnistria Zentralmoldawien.
History
The crest is already occupied in the 15th century and was in a similar form, the symbol of the ancient Principality of Moldavia, but with a sun instead of the rose. Sun and moon are obvious symbols of coins of ancient Dacia. The eight pointed star is interpreted as ancient Dacian wisdom symbol. The head of the aurochs was the heraldic animal of the Wallachian princely family Basarab. The Rose also made it the emblem of Bessarabia, but with a different color scheme and a five-pointed star.
Coat of Arms of the Russian province of Bessarabia (19th century)
Coat of Bessarabia in the document of accession to Romania ( 1918)