Vintage Danish Royal Coat of Arms of Greenland

Greenland is a country within the Kingdom of Denmark, Danmark, Danemark. Vintage illustration Danish royal coat of arms of Greenland; a blue shield with a silver polar bear. This symbol was first used in 1666 and is still represented in the arms of the Danish royal family. The bear was originally shown walking naturally, but in 1819 an upright position was specified. The polar bear symbolizes the fauna of Greenland and the blue designates the Atlantic and the Arctic Oceans. Instead of the Danish version in the royal arms which follows the heraldic tradition in raising the right forepaw, the polar bear on the Greenlandic coat of arms raises the left forepaw, due to the traditional Inuit belief that polar bears are left-handed. The polar bear was first included as a symbol of Greenland in the Danish coat of arms during the reign of King Frederick III of Danmark.