The official description of the heraldic design is as follows: For thirty-seven years the coat of arms of the Republic of Panama was not changed until the Constitution of 1941 was promulgated.

The National Assembly dictated in March of that year Law 28 on the coat of arms, in which the following reforms were introduced: the saber and the gun are meant as "attitude of alert in defense of our sovereignty" in place of "abandonment to mean goodbye to the civil wars".

311 projects appeared to change the motto and the Jury named to make the selection decided in favor of: "Solo Dios sobre Nosotros" (Only God Above Us).

Nevertheless, the National Assembly when approving the Law 28 already referred to, rejected it and preferred the one of "Justice, Honor and Freedom".

The formal adoption and regulation of the use of the national flag, anthem and coat of arms were decreed by law 34 of 1949.