Although often referred to as a coat of arms (or escudo in Spanish), it is technically an emblem as it was not designed to conform to traditional heraldic rules.

The emblem sees its origin in an agreement made by the pro-autonomist Assembly of Ronda in 1918, designed by Blas Infante, "Father of Andalusia".

"[3]The figure of the mythical Greek hero Heracles (Latin: Hercules), son of Zeus and the mortal Alcmena, appears between the columns.

He is seen seizing and taming two lions, each representing the power of animal instinct, above the legend: "ANDALUCÍA POR SÍ, PARA ESPAÑA Y LA HUMANIDAD".

In the original coat of arms, Infante included the words "BETICA-ANDALUS", as a reminder of two of the most important periods of the history of Andalusia.