Coats of arms of Cyprus
The coat of arms of the Republic of Cyprus depicts a dove carrying an olive branch (a well-known symbol of peace) over “1960”, the year of Cypriot independence from British rule. The background is a copper-yellow color; this symbolizes the large deposits of copper ore on Cyprus (chiefly in the form of chalcopyrite, which is yellow in color). The arms violate the rule of tincture.
When Cyprus was a British Crown Colony, local colonial officials used a coat of arms (which were never in fact officially granted) of two lions passant guardant, based on the coat of arms of the United Kingdom.
The Cypriot coat of arms was recently selected as the main motif of a very high value collectors' coin, the Cyprus introduction to the Eurozone commemorative coin, minted in 2008. The obverse depicts the Coat of arms of Cyprus while the reverse depicts Cyprus connected with a ring to Europe, οn a transfigured map.
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