The coat of arms of The Kingdom of Spain in Spanish philately

Abstract

The story behind the royal coat of arms of the Kingdom of Spain later to be known also as state arms is quite interesting . It clearly shows the old kingdoms of Spain and the constitutional monarchy throughout the ages. It revolves around the various political periods which engrave the history of Spain. Spanish philately depicts these stages in the various issues of its stamps thus enabling the enthusiast to quench his thirst while unfolding the pages of Spanish postal history. The philatelic issues of the Coat of arms of Spain can be divided in three periods namely: The early period, the Francoist period and the reign of Juan Carlos I. In the early days there was no such as a heraldic Coat of Arms for Spain since Spain has been a "United Kingdom" made up of historical kingdoms. In the early days, as far as the Catholic Monarchs, Spain carried the Coat of Arms of its monarch. This was used as the official arms until the first Spanish Republic. [excerpt]