King Gustav I of Sweden gave his son John the title of duke of Finland in 1556, the territory received the Coat of Arms of Helsinki. Apart from the national emblems, the Coat of Arms in Helsinki included two other symbols, which referred to northern and southern Finland. These two symbols were later withheld in the arms of these two provinces.
The second Helsinki Coat of Arms was received after King John III ascended the throne and adopted the title of "Grand Duke of Finland and Karelia" in the year 1581. The Coat of Arms of Helsinki was modeled on a shield, which was sculpted for the tombstone of King Gustav I at the Uppsala Cathedral. The Dutch artist Willem Boyen, who served under both Gustav I and Erik XIV, designed the shield.
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The symbol of the lion in the Coat of Arms of Helsinki is derived from the arms of the Folkung family. The two swords were from the Karelian coat of arms, which was first publicly displayed on a banner at the funeral of King Gustav I in 1560. The positioning of the curved Russian sabre beneath the lion's paws reflects the political scenario prevalent at that time. The nine roses are believed to refer to Finland's nine historical provinces.
In 1917, when Finland became independent the "lions arms" became the coat of arms of the new nation. The Coat of Arms of Helsinki appears on the state flag, official seals, coins, banknotes and postage stamps of Finland.
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