Has the Mexican Flag Symbol Changed? No — Same Since 1821

No. The central symbol — the national coat of arms — has remained essentially unchanged since the First Mexican Empire (1821).

Symbol Description

• Eagle (golden eagle / águila real) perched on a prickly pear cactus (nopal).
• Devouring a serpent.
• Cactus grows from a rock in a lake (Lake Texcoco).
• Laurel/oak branches below.

Origin

Aztec foundation myth of Tenochtitlan (1325): Huitzilopochtli signaled the site via eagle-on-cactus-eating-snake. Adopted by independence leaders (Iturbide) as national emblem.

Minor Variations

• 1821–1823: Imperial crown above eagle.
• 1823: Republic established — crown removed, branches added.
• 1968: Current standardized design (Francisco Eppens Helguera) — eagle profile, more naturalistic.
• 1984: Legal protection (Ley sobre el Escudo, la Bandera y el Himno Nacionales).

Flag Colors

Green (independence), White (religion/purity), Red (union/blood) — vertical tricolor since 1821. Coat of arms centered on white stripe.