Coat of Arms

The Arms of the Institute were adopted on 20 January 1955. Almost all of the individual symbols incorporated in the design are taken from the Arms of the Scottish Banks, but they also have significance either for banking or for the Institute. The gold coins for example, symbolise banking in general. The book is representative of learning and the Saltire indicates the Institute's Scottish nationality. The cornucopia in the middle of the St Andrews cross represents the savings entrusted to the banks to be used for the benefit of Scottish industry. The horse, ship and sheaf symbols are drawn from Arms of the Scottish Banks.

The scroll at the bottom of the crest shows the motto "Consilio et fidelitate" which literally translated means "By wisdom and faithfulness" however the general consensus between members suggests that "By sound counsel and good faith" is a more appropriate interpretation.

In 1991, when the Institute received the Royal Charter, it became eligible to approve "supporters" for the Coat of Arms. After much deliberation, the owl representing wisdom & learning and the eagle representing Scotland, were endorsed in 1994 as supporters. These figurative birds are now shown with a claw from each, holding up the Arms of the Institute. This constitutes The Chartered Institute of Bankers in Scotland's Coat of Arms.