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In Croatia today there are people who often want to declare their strong patriotism by vigorously proving that original Croatian arms begins "with first silver field" and that the other version - this one with first red field - is a kind of fake, and that this other arms were Croatian symbols only in those times when Croatia was not sovereign country.
That statement is based upon the fact that in both common south Slavic states (1918-1941) and from 1947 to 1991 Croatians were represented with "red first field". In contrary, during the Second World War existed Independent State of Croatia, bear an arms that had first silver field. Also, Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia had coat-of-arms with Croatian arms beginning with silver one.
Others say that Croatian arms, when pictured alone, have first red field - because of better impression on a white background, where first and last red field are keeping the structure of coat-of-arms - and when Croatian arms are incorporated into an larger symbol, then the is first silver field.
There are some interpretations that Croatian arms with first silver field is a demonstration of Independent State of Croatia pro-nazi Ustasha regime and as such dangerous.
However, all of this is completely wrong. During its history Croatia had few different arms, as it will be shown bellow, and the first official legal regulation - Decree of the Department of Interior of the Royal Country Government of November 16, 1867, No. 18.307 - described the united coat-of-arms of the triune kingdom. There Croatian arms were described as "consisting of red and white squares", but all pictures shows this coat-of-arms with first silver field. This status remained until 1918.
The oldest Croatian arms were half-moon with six-pointed or eight-pointed star and they could be found on some old tombstones and coins (Croatian frizatics) from thirteenth century. In nineteenth century this arms were taken by Illyric Movement for their symbols: on a red shield a half-moon pointing upwards and six-pointed star above it.
Today's pattern of Croatian coat-of-arms firstly appeared in 1491 as part of arms of family Perović tombstone in Senj cathedral. The oldest picture of the arms of Kingdom of Croatia (4 x 4 white and red) is shown on the vault of the house city judge in Friedrichstraße 35 in Innsbruck, Austria. Although this design of Croatian arms is not a heraldically ancient coat-of-arms, its pattern may indicate that its history could be much longer.
Painter Hans Burgkmair made 1508 a portrait of Friedrich III Habsburg where is shown Croatian coat-of-arms, together with other countries' coat-of-arms (Hungary, Dalmatia, Carinthia, etc). 1512 was issued a memorial of Maximilian I Habsburg with the picture of his tomb. Along the edge of tomb there are eight coat-of-arms of countries where he ruled (or claimed). One of them is Croatia, which is represented with 5 x 5 arms. Hans Burgkmair painted a portrait of king Louis II Jagełło in 1525. On this painting was pictured also Croatian coat-of-arms (7 x 4). It is showed also on memorial medal issued by king Louis II Jagełło 1525 and later again on January 1, 1527 on the document which confirms that Croatian parliament elected Ferdinand I Habsburg as Croatian king - since Croatian and Hungarian king Louis II Jagełło died in the battle of Mohács with Turks. This document bears Croatian arms with unique 64 (8 x 8) red and white fields.
Although it was always an ethnographic term, not political or geographical, Slavonia has long tradition of its arms. Kingdom of Slavonia was only one of titles of a king and usually it was term for the whole Croatia. Slavonian coat-of-arms in its basic form (a marten with two six-pointed stars above and below) is known from coins (Slavonian banovac), which were firstly minted by duke Andrew (1197-1203). Later, some coins were issued with marten between a crown above and half-moon and six-pointed star below. On December 8, 1496 in a document issued by king Wladisław II Jagełło Slavonian coat-of-arms was confirmed and until 1741 this arms were used for the whole Croatia.
The king Sigismund of Luxemburg granted 1406 Dalmatian arms. Until 1525 it was symbol for whole Croatia. It always shows three crowned heads in 2+1 form, sometimes showing red tongues. Originally there were three silver left-turned lion's heads on red shield. Later, heads were of leopards, turned en face and became golden, all on blue. Under Venetian rule blue colour of field was changed again with red.
On the thaller issued by king Mathew I Habsburg in 1616, for the first time arms of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia were united. Later, this coat-of-arms is used as the symbol of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia (Trojedna Kraljevina Hrvatska, Slavonija i Dalmacija) until October 29, 1918.
Until the previously mentioned Decree, Croatian checkerboard arms were pictured in numerous combinations of fields: 4 x 4, 4 x 5, 4 x 6, etc. and with sometimes first red and sometimes first silver field. Also, some of Croatian noble families had Croatian arms incorporated into arms of their families. Red and silver first field are equally represented, and two families (Majlath and Matejković) have the same design of coat-of-arms, only with a different first field of incorporated Croatian coat-of-arms.
All of this shows that Croatian coat-of-arms are far more older than political and quasi-political argumentation of the second half of twentieth century. Both designs are historically valid and it should not be a basis for dispute.
However, problem of the right and correct design of Croatian coat-of-arms remains. After the fall of communism in 1990, Croatia adopted new symbols. From July to December 1990 was official coat-of-arms a simple shield with 25 red and white fields. At that time, there were ideas that this should be lesser arms and that greater arms - or only arms - have to include also Slavonian, Dalmatian and eventually Istrian coat-of-arms - a solution similar to this one Croatia had from 1867 to 1918. By surprise, on December 21, 1990 the Law on the Coat-of-Arms, the Flag and the National Anthem of the Republic of Croatia, and on the Flag and the Sash of the President of the Republic of Croatia was adopted. With assistance of the committee head of which was director of Institute of Croatian History of Philosophic Faculty in Zagreb Nika Stanić, the court designer of late president Franjo Tuđman, Miroslav utej - otherwise a graphical designer - designed the newest Croatian symbols with numerous heraldically heavy mistakes.
Since in Croatia heraldry is newly discovered subject, authorities have lack of heraldrists. Then various artists (painters or graphic designers) take their opportunities to make "art" approach to their work. Often, results are bad looking, quasi-traditional invention of doubtful aesthetic qualities. Most obvious is example of the Croatian coat-of-arms.
Croatian coat-of-arms made by Mr. Miroslav utej if in heraldically sense a bad example. Heraldic has very strict rules, so if greater arms was designed, arms of Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia must be as much as it is possible equal, because they are arms of kingdoms (although Croatia is today a republic). Coat-of-arms of Istria (shire) and Dubrovnik (republic) follows after. However, in this case Croatian arms are pictured on the shield and all others are squeezed into - also non heraldic - crown. Graphic designer steps further and according his imagination crown has to be in blue colour. All arms must fit into this concept, so one changes it's colour (Illyric, from red to blue) and in arms of Dubrovnik number of stripes are reduced from four to two to become more "bluish". To make crown "prettier" or whatsoever, the segments are alternatively coloured into two shades of blue. It leads into wrong conclusion that, for example, Dalmatian or Slavonian coat-of-arms has lighter shade of blue shield than Istria or Dubrovnik. In addition, the space between crown and shield is an undefined area. When arms are placed on flag this space is red, because it is on red part of flag. When coat-of-arms is showing independently, often it is coloured white. Probably to emphasize arms as much possible, it is trimmed by thin red line. However, the crown is also trimmed, what is completely new "invention".
The same author made also the standard of the president. It is a good example how it is possible to violate both auxiliary historical sciences in a country with certain heraldical-vexillological tradition.
Solutions for various Croatian flags that followed in next few years are definitely much better, however they are limited because of before described limitations of Mr. utej's coat-of-arms.
In Yugoslavia, heraldry was not very popular - especially in socialist Yugoslavia, when arms and flags were decorated with obligatory red stars, cogwheels, wheat and such "proletarian" stuff of Soviet provenience. When Croatia become independent, numerous communities and cities adopted their symbols. It happened that they did not take their old symbols from pre-Yugoslav period, but "invent" some new ones, often with bizarre and terrible solutions. It was only important how much national, religious and patriotic elements can be included in those symbols.
Because to stop such trend, Croatian government made in 1994, 1995 and once again in 1998 "Regulation about the Procedure of Giving an Approval of Coat-of-Arms and Flag of Local Bodies". All non-heraldic designs were rejected, and local authorities had to readopt their symbols according the "Regulations". Unfortunately, those regulations did not include state symbols.
Generally the rule is that arms must follow the heraldic rules, if it is needed to adopt a new one. For flags rule is that those of communities and cities have to be monocolour, counties bi-colour. Only national flag has three colours. This is, however, very doubtful rule, since many historical local flags are not fitting into such rigid law.
Speaking about the how symbols are creating, there are generally, two ways. For those local bodies, which have historical symbols, usual procedure is to adopt them again.
Those authorities which have not historical coat-of-arms (and flag) - and those are mainly communities or newly formed counties (not historical ones) - had some kind of competition. In fact, they gave this job to somebody, and for the form - the by law obligatory - decision for running a competition for the creation of symbols publish in their local gazette (for which nobody know) or they put on the board in hall of community office (which usually nobody reads).
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