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National Emblem of Libya

coat of arms

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General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionAug 9, 2026
Entity authorityQ44783 ↗
Source-derived summary

Since 2011, Libya currently does not have an official national emblem. The Constitutional Declaration issued by the National Transitional Council in August 2011 defines the flag of Libya, but does not make any provisions for a coat of arms.

A new biometric Libyan passport was revealed in February 2013. The cover of the new passport depicts a star and crescent as its central feature, as found in the flag of Libya. Thus, the symbol can be considered a de facto emblem for Libya.

The Government of National Unity, established in March 2021 has adopted an official seal incorporating a crescent moon and star and the name of the state and government in Arabic.

History

Pre-independence

Kingdom of Libya (1951–1969)

The coat of arms of the Kingdom of Libya was used from 1952 to 1969.

A royal decree from 1952 described the coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Libya as follows:

The emblem of the United Kingdom of Libya would be

a silver crescent and star, resting on a background of black surrounded by a green frame; all crested with a small golden crown, standing on a black base; all in the centre of a red mantle and surrounded by 9 (nine) golden stars, the mantle decorated with golden ornaments; all crested with a crown of a golden diadem with five hoops set with stars and bearing the crescent and star.

Libya under Gaddafi (1969–2011)

In 1970, Libya adopted as its coat of arms the Eagle of Saladin, which had become a symbol of Arab nationalism following its prominence in the Egyptian revolution of 1952, after which it was used in the coat of arms of Egypt, the United Arab Republic, Yemen, Iraq, and Palestine. In 1972, Libya's participation in the Federation of Arab Republics led both it and Egypt to abandon the Eagle of Saladin, and to adopt as their coats of arms the Hawk of Quraish, the emblem of the tribe of Muhammad used by Syria, which became the coat of arms of the Federation.

Editorial summary

This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “National Emblem of Libya” as coat of arms. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.

Editorial reviewA concise reference frame for defining the subject, testing terminology and identifying the institution closest to the evidence. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—2011, 2013, 2021, 1951—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 2011-02-27. The account is most persuasive where National, Emblem and Libya can be independently traced.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as coat of arms. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.

Evidence profile

The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 9, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q44783. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 2011, 2013, 2021 and 1951.

Critical limits

The absence of detail may reflect summary conventions rather than a lack of surviving documentation. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

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  2. Expand the search: follow National Emblem of Libya primary sources, National Emblem of Libya archive and National research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “National Emblem of Libya” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.