föreningen Gamla Halmstad

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The City of Halmstad coat of arms The City of Halmstad got its present coat of arms approved in 1936 with this description: Shield: In a blue shield with a balk of silver, coated with three hearts crowned with open crowns. Helmet cover: Inside silver and outside blue Bulge: Silver and blue Helmet ornamnent: Three sheaves of gold
Old medieval seals
The earliest known seal for the City of Halmstad descends from the beginning of the 14th century. The seal pictures a tournament helmet decorated with four ears that form the letter W. The seal has the circumscription S. Civitatis Halmstadensis. S is an abridgment of Secretum or Sigillum and the meaning then is the City of Halmstad seal. This seal was used until year 1584.
Further seal with the same theme has been found. Two seals are mentioned being used in the beginning of 19th century with the same theme, both are now been lost. The picture is from a seal manufactured in 1922.
The seal from 1603 The next known seal is from the year 1603, the theme is a shield with a helmet and sheaves. The seal has the circumscription Civitatis anno 1603 Helmstadiensis. The city of Halmstad received this seal from the Danish King Christian IV and it is has been the prototype for the present seal for the City of Halmstad.
The seal from the 19th century In the beginning of the 19th century a new seal was coined with the same symbols as the seal from 1603. The circumscription was changed to Sigillum Civitatis Halmstadiensis.

The origin of the three hearts
The year 1603 is the first known year that the City of Halmstad carried a shield decorated with three hearts. A wildly spread story tells us that king Christian IV had a heart as his personal symbol and that this is why the City of Halmstad has this symbol. This theory is wrong, there are no known hearts that can be associated with Christian IV from that age. Christian IV used a heart in connection with his motto but the earliest known use of this is from 1629.
To find the origin use of the three hearts we have to go back in time. The years 1202-1241 Valdemar Sejr was king of Denmark (including Halmstad). Hes grandson Erik Knutsson, was the duke of the south part of Halland (the county where Halmstad is situated). His brother, Nils Knutsson was the duke of the northern part of Halland. The two brothers both had hearts in their shields. From the year 1450 there is a field with hearts in the Danish royal shield that symbolize Halland.
When Christian IV in year 1603 granted the City of Halmstad with a new shield the hearts had already been a symbol for Halland in 300 years, and in the royal shield for 150 years.

The Danish national coat of arms 1450 To the left in the lower field of the shield there are 9 hearts symbolizing Halland.		The Danish national coat of arms 1819 The 9 hearts are situated to the right above a dragon and under a lion

Sources (in Swedish)
Dunér Uno, Halmstads vapens ursprung. GHÅ 1995
Peterson Stig-Åke, Kommunvapen i Halland, Halland 1978
Roth Nils, Halmstad, svenska stadsmonografier 1946
Danström Ludvig, Halmstads sigill, GHÅ 1924