The Coat of arms of Lima was granted by the Spanish Crown on December 7, 1537, by Royal Decree signed in Valladolid by Emperor Charles V and his mother Queen Joanna, endowing the city with the shield.

In the Cédula, preserved for a time in the Archives of the Cabildo, and later known by its transcription in another file of the city, the shield is described as follows: "A shield in blue field, with three crowns of gold of kings, placed in triangle, and on top of them, a gold star, which each of the three points of said star touches the three crowns, and by border some letters of gold that say: 'Hoc signum vere regum est', in red field, and by crest two black eagles of golden crown of kings, that look at each other, and embrace an I and a K, which are the first letters of our proper names, and on top of these said letters a golden star, according to here they are figured and painted.

"[1] The slogan on the red border (gules) "Hoc signum vere regum est", which means "This is the true sign of the kings" seems to be related to the founding origin of the Peruvian capital.

However, according to the historian María Rostworowski, such an appellation was not imposed in homage to the Magi but in honor of the Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire and first of Spain and his mother, Queen Joanna.

The main field, of azure, represents the scene: the three open crowns, also called ancient, next to a star of gold, and with the lower tip often elongated.