Miskolc

Heraldry of the World
Civic heraldry of Hungary (Megyei címerek)

MISKOLC

Province (county) : Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén

Origin/meaning

The present coat of arms of the town of Miskolc was created in 1909 based on the seals of the town.

The first print of the town's seal can be found on a document dated 7th July 1389. It was affixed on yellow sealing wax. Its legend is indistinguishable and its heraldic figure is a royal head decorated with fleury lilied crown. The identity of this royal head is disputed. The name of St. King Steven arose because he was the patron saint of the Avas church but the fleury lilied crown refers to our other king Lajos (the Great). The next seal version likewise affixed on yellow sealing wax. Its legend is "Sigillium Civitas Miskolcz" on which there is a bearded royal head who is, possibly, Zsigmond Luxemburg. Next to the head there is a moon on its left hand side and a six pointed star on its right hand side. Another version of this is known as well, on which the engraving is new. Possibly, it was made instead of the old threadbare one. At one time the print seal was a figure with spread legs instead of the crowned head and then the full figure of St. King Steven who holds a sceptre and an orb in his hands. This seal was used until 1687.

Second seal of the city

After then instead of the figure of the king appears a Haiduk with a bunch of grapes in one of his hands and with a wheat stalk in his other hand.

In 1909, when the town received the right of the municipal authority the seal was created by amalgamating the previous seal pictures.

On this on the red field of the snout bottom shield the half-length portrait of St. King Steven can be seen wearing a purple cloth with a gold cloak and with the Saint Crown on his head. It is encircled with gold sparkling disc. In his left hand there is a gold royal sceptre and a gold orb with twofold crux. On the shield, the decoration of the crowned open helmet turning to the right hand side, as far as heraldry is concerned, is a Hungarian Haiduk, who is wearing a blue dolman decorated with gold soutache and a gold hilt sword bounded to his side.

In his right hand he holds five gold wheat stalks and gold bunch of grapes with leaves in his left hand. The cover of the helmet from the right hand side is blue-gold coloured, as far as the rules of the heraldry are concerned and red-silver coloured from the right hand side. The shield placed on gold arabesque is hold by a gold lion sticking his tongue out and turning towards the centre from the right, as far as the rules of the heraldry are concerned, and a gold griffin sticking his tongue out and turning from the left towards the centre as well.