| Coat of arms of Rhineland-Palatinate | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Armiger | Rhineland-Palatinate State Government |
| Shield | In thirds: A red cross on silver; a silver wheel on red; a golden lion on black |
| Constituent parts | Arms of the Archbishop and Prince Elector of Trier; the Archbishop and Prince Elector of Mainz, and the Prince Elector of the Palatinate. |
The coat of arms of Rhineland-Palatinate was, along with the flag of Rhineland-Palatinate, designed in 1947 after the new Land of Rheinland-Pfalz was formed by the authority of the French High Commissioner to Germany. The flag symbolizes the dedication of Rhineland-Palatinate to Germany (therefore the black-red-gold tricolour) as well as the democratic traditions of Germany. These colours were seen first in this combination during the Hambacher Fest, a mass demonstration by German liberals at the ruins of the Hambacher Schloss in 1832. The Palatinate is therefore connected to these colours.
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The coat of arms, an integral part of the state flag, symbolises the three predominant powers in the region before the French Revolution of the late 18th century:
- the red cross on silver represents the Archbishop and prince-elector (Kurfürst) of Trier
- the silver wheel on red (Wheel of Mainz) represents the Archbishop and prince-elector of Mainz
- the crowned golden lion on black represents the prince-elector of the Palatinate (see: Palatine Lion)
The Volkskrone (people's crown) consists of vine leaves and shows the importance of this crop for local agriculture.