As a British colony, Natal's first official symbol was a Public Seal, authorised by Queen Victoria in 1846, and also used as a flag badge from 1870.

[1] [2] [3] The seal was of a standard pattern[clarification needed] which first came into use on the Great Seal of Newfoundland in 1839 and was described as follows: "Within a Chippendale-type frame, a on plain, two Wildebeest in full course at random (to sinister), with the words COLONY OF NATAL beneath the frame.

The frame itself is ensigned with the Royal Arms and around the circumference appears the legend VICTORIA DEI GRATIA BRITANNIAR.

[5] In their original form, as used by the colonial government, the Arms of 1907 consisted only of a shield, blazoned as follows: Azure, in front of mountains and on a plain two black wildebeesten in full course at random all proper.

New artwork, introduced in 1930, altered details of the crown, by replacing the fleurs de lis with crosses and omitting the pearls from the transverse arch.