It was designed by the Moldovan artist Gheorghe Vrabie.

[1] The escutcheon's aurochs head accompanied by a rose, crescent and pointed star is derived from the coat of arms of the Principality of Moldavia.

The heraldic supporter of an eagle with a cross in the beak is derived from the interwar coat of arms of the Kingdom of Romania.

Most of Moldova's territory was part of Romania between World War I and World War II.

Moldovan law describes the arms as follows:[2] Per fess gules and azure, an aurochs head cabossed overall, accompanied by a mullet of eight points between the horns, a heraldic rose to dexter and a crescent decrescent to sinister, all or; supporter, behind the shield: an eagle (heraldic, wings inverted) proper (golden brown), beaked and membered gules, holding in his beak a cross or, in his dexter talon an olive branch vert and in his sinister a scepter or.