BRAZIL, United Republic of.

BRAZIL, United Republic of. The device now used is a star surrounded by golden rays. Tiie five points of the star are fimbriated throughout with gules and or and each ray of the star is party of vert and or, i.e. of the national colours. The star is charged with a circular disc of azure, the disc being surrounded by a gilt edged blue border containing twenty silver stars for the twenty provinces. Within this border, likewise on a blue ground appears the constellation of the Southern Cross. Under the star are placed a branch of the cofi'ee-plant and one of the tobacco plant arranged in orle, and over these but behind the star a sword in pale proper, pommel and hilt or, the hilt surmounted by a blue ribbon which bears in gold letters the name of the Confederated State and the date of its establishment— viz : " Estados Unidos de Brazil — 15 de Novembre de 1889." [The former Arms of Brazil were established by decree iSth September 1822, and were "a sphere upon a red cross in a field of gold within a circle of nineteen stars in a bordure of azure, in the lower part a dragon, symbol of the House of Braganza : and in the upper part a Royal Crown. A translation of the decree in extension appears in Berry's " Encyclopaedia of Heraldry," vol. i.]

Original Source bookofpublicarms00foxd_djvu.txt near line 4212.