Guatemala's national emblem was created in 1871, in accordance with a decree issued by the president, General Miguel García Granados, according to which "The arms of the republic will be: a shield with two rifles and two swords crossed with a wreath of laurel on a field of light blue. The middle will harbor a scroll of parchment with the words 'Libertad 15 de Septiembre de 1821' [no translation necessary, I trust – HT] in gold and in the upper part a Quetzal as the symbol of national independence and autonomy."
The emblem was designed by the Swiss artist and engraver Jean–Baptiste Frener, who was born in Luzern in 1821 and lived in Guatemala from 1854 until his death in 1897.
The quetzal is in fact the memorably–named resplendent quetzal, which is Guatemala's national bird. It lives only on the Central American isthmus, from southern Mexico to western Panama – unlike other quetzals which are found in South America. It also gives its name (the 'quetzal' bit, not the 'resplendent' bit) to Guatemala's currency.
Note that the shield that is mentioned in the description above is never used. This means that the emblem is not, in strict heraldic terms, a coat of arms.
© Haydn Thompson 2017