Over its long history, the Holy Roman Empire used many different heraldic forms, representing its numerous internal divisions.

Imperial coat of arms

Coats of arms of Holy Roman Emperors

The Reichsadler ("Imperial Eagle") was the heraldic eagle, derived from the Roman eagle standard, used by the Holy Roman Emperors and in modern coats of arms of Germany, including those of the Second German Empire (1871–1918), the Weimar Republic (1919–1933) and the "Third Reich" (Nazi Germany, 1933–1945). The same design has remained in use by the Federal Republic of Germany since 1945, but under a different name, now called Bundesadler ("Union Eagle" or "Federal Eagle", from German "Bund", genitive form "Bundes" meaning 'Union' or 'Federation', and "Adler" meaning 'Eagle').

Quaternion Eagle

One rendition of the coat of the empire was the "Quaternion Eagle" (so named after the imperial quaternions) printed by David de Negker of Augsburg, after a 1510 woodcut by Hans Burgkmair. It showed a selection of 56 shields of various Imperial States in groups of four on the feathers of a double-headed eagle supporting, in place of a shield, Christ on the Cross. The top, larger shields, are those of the seven Prince Electors, the ecclesiastical: Trier, Cologne and Mainz as well as of the titular "Prefect of Rome" on the right wing; the secular: Bohemia, Electorate of the Palatinate, Saxony and Brandenburg on the left. The depiction also appeared on the Imperial Eagle beaker.

Holy Roman Emperors

Direct attestations of imperial coats of arms become available in the later 13th century. Past emperors are given attributed arms in 13th-century sources. Thus, Otto IV is given the first known depiction of a double-headed Reichsadler in the Chronica Majora (). Henry VI is given a (single-headed) Reichsadler in the Codex Manesse ().

Frederick II of Hohenstaufen (Emperor 1220–1250) did not use coats of arms in any of his seals. He did use the imperial eagle on some of his coins, but not displayed as a heraldic charge in a heraldic shield. Frederick's son and co-ruler Henry did have an equestrian seal with the Hohenstaufen coat of arms of three leopards, and this coat of arms is later attributed to Frederick II as well.

From the reign of Albert II (reigned 1438–39, was never crowned emperor), each Emperor bore the old Imperial arms (Or, an eagle displayed sable beaked and membered gules) with an inescutcheon of pretence of his personal family arms. This appears therefore as a black eagle with an escutcheon on his breast. Before 1438 the Emperors used separate personal and an imperial coat of arms. The arms of the High Offices of the Empire were borne as an augmentation to the office-holder's personal arms.

Personal arms Imperial arms Name/Blazon of personal arms 1308–1313 : Henry VII of Luxembourg (1275 † 1313), crowned in 1312

Barry of ten argent and azure, a lion rampant gules crowned or. 1314–1347 : Louis IV of Bavaria (1286 † 1347), crowned in 1328

Fusilly bendwise argent and azure. 1348–1378 : Charles IV of Luxembourg (1316 † 1378), crowned in 1355

Gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or. 1411–1437 : Sigismund of Luxembourg (1368 † 1437), crowned in 1433

Per pale, dexter barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); sinister gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia). 1440–1493 : Frederick III of Habsburg (1415 † 1493), crowned in 1452

Gules a fess argent (Babenberg, adopted by Rudolph I (d.1291), King of Germany, of the House of Habsburg, having obtained the former Babenberg Duchies of Austria and Styria, in lieu of his paternal arms (Or, a lion rampant gules crowned armed and langued azure). 1493–1519 : Maximilian I of Habsburg (1459 † 1519), crowned in 1508

Per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria); sinister bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for his wife Mary Duchess of Burgundy). 1519–1556 : Charles V of Habsburg (1500 † 1558), crowned in 1519

Quarterly: I and IV grand-quarterly i and iv great-grand-quarterly 1 and 4 gules a three towered castle Or masoned sable and ajouré azure (for Castile), 2 and 3 argent a lion rampant purpure crowned Or langued and armed gules (for Leon), ii per pale, dexter per fess, in chief Or four pallets gules (for Aragon), in base gules a cross, saltire, and orle of chains linked together Or and a centre point vert (for Navarre), sinister argent a cross potent and four crosslets Or (for Jerusalem) impaling barry of eight gules and argent (for Hungary), iii per pale, dexter per fess, in chief Or four pallets gules (for Aragon), in base gules a cross, saltire, and orle of chains linked together Or and a centre point vert (for Navarre), sinister per saltire, 1 and 4 Or four pallets gules, 2 and 3 argent an eagle displayed sable (for Sicily); II and III grand-quarterly, i gules a fess argent (for Austria), ii azure semy-de-lis Or a bordure compony argent and gules (new Burgundy), iii bendy of six Or and azure a bordure gules (old Burgundy), iv sable a lion rampant Or langued and armed gules (for Brabant), overall at the fess point of the quarter an inescutcheon Or a lion rampant sable armed and langued gules (for Flanders) impaling argent an eagle displayed gules, armed, beaked, and langued Or (for Tyrol); enté en point argent a pomegranate proper seeded gules, supported, sculpted and slipped vert (for Granada). 1558–1564 : Ferdinand I of Habsburg (1503 † 1564), Emperor 1554–1576 : Maximilian II of Habsburg (1527 † 1576), Emperor

Quarterly, I and IV gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); II and III barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); overall and inescutcheon per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria), sinister bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy). 1576–1611 : Rudolf II of Habsburg (1552 † 1612), Emperor 1612–1619 : Matthias of Habsburg (1557 † 1619), Emperor 1619–1637 : Ferdinand II of Habsburg (1578 † 1637), Emperor

Quarterly, I gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); II barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); III per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria), sinister bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy); IV grand-quarterly i and iv gules a three-towered castle Or ajouré azure (for Castile), ii and iii argent a lion rampant purpure armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Leon). 1637–1657 : Ferdinand III of Habsburg (1608 † 1657), Emperor 1653–1654 : Ferdinand IV of Habsburg (1633 † 1654)

Quarterly, I gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); II barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); III grand-quarterly, i and iv gules a three-towered castle Or (for Castile), ii and iii argent a lion rampant purpure armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Leon); IV per pale, dexter bendy of six Or and azure a bordure gules (for Burgundy), sinister per fess, chief argent an eagle displayed gules armed, langued, and beaked Or (for Tyrol), and base Or a lion rampant sable, armed and langued gules (for Flanders); overall an inescutcheon gules a fess argent (for Austria). 1657–1705 : Leopold I of Habsburg (1640 † 1705), Emperor

Quarterly, I barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); II gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); III per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria), sinister bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy); IV grand-quarterly i and iv gules a three-towered castle Or ajouré azure (for Castile), ii and iii argent a lion rampant purpure armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Leon). 1705–1711 : Joseph I of Habsburg (1678 † 1711), Emperor

Quarterly, I and IV gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); II and III barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); overall and inescutcheon per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria), sinister bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy). 1711-1740 : Charles VI of Habsburg (1685 † 1740), Emperor

Quarterly, I gules a three-towered castle Or masoned sable and ajouré azure (for Castile); II barry of eight, gules and argent (for Hungary); III per pale, dexter Or four pallets gules (for Aragon), sinister per saltire i and iv Or four pallets gules, ii and iii argent an eagle displayed sable (for Sicily); IV per pale, dexter gules a fess argent (for Austria), sinister bendy of six Or and azure a bordure gules (for Burgundy); overall an inescutcheon gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia). 1742-1745 : Charles VII of Bavaria (1697 † 1745), Emperor

Quarterly, I and IV fusilly bendwise argent and azure (for Bavaria); II and III sable a lion rampant Or, armed, langued, and crowned gules (for the Electorate of the Palatinate); overall an inescutcheon gules an orb Or (for Arch-Steward of the Holy Roman Empire). 1745-1765 : Francis I of Habsburg-Lorraine (1708 † 1765), Emperor

Quarterly, I barry of eight gules and argent (for Hungary) impaling azure semy-de-lis Or a label gules (for Naples); II argent a cross potent and four crosslets Or (for Jerusalem) impaling Or four pallets gules (for Aragon); III azure semy-de-lis Or a bordure gules (for the House of Valois-Anjou) impaling azure a lion sinister rampant Or, armed, langued, and crowned gules (for Guelders); IV Or a lion rampant sable, armed and langued gules (for Jülich) impaling azure crusilly fitchy, two barbels haurient addorsed Or (for Bar); overall an inescutcheon Or a bend gules three alerions argent (for Lorraine) impaling Or, in annulo six torteaux, the torteau in chief replaced by a roundel azure charged with three fleurs-de-lis Or (for the Medici family). 1765-1790 : Joseph II of Habsburg-Lorraine (1741 † 1790), Emperor

Quarterly, I barry of eight, gules and argent, impaling gules a patriarchal cross argent on a trimount vert (for Hungary); II gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); III bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy); IV Or, in annulo six torteaux, the torteau in chief replaced by a roundel azure charged with three fleurs-de-lis Or (for the Medici family); overall and inescutcheon gules a fess argent (for Austria) impaling Or a bend gules three alerions argent (for Lorraine). 1790-1792 : Leopold II of Habsburg-Lorraine (1747 † 1792), King of Bohemia and Hungary, Emperor 1792-1804 : Francis II of Habsburg-Lorraine (1768 † 1835), King of Bohemia and Hungary, Emperor of the Germans, Emperor of Austria

Quarterly, I barry of eight, gules and argent, impaling gules a patriarchal cross argent on a tri-mount vert (for Hungary); II gules a lion rampant argent, queue fourchée crossed in saltire, armed, langued, and crowned Or (for Bohemia); III bendy of six Or and azure, a bordure gules (for Burgundy); IV azure crusilly fitchy, two barbels haurient addorsed Or (for Bar); overall an inescutcheon per pale, dexter Or a bend gules three alerions argent (for Lorraine), sinister Or, in annulo six torteaux, the torteau in chief replaced by a roundel azure charged with three fleurs-de-lis Or (for the Medici family), overall on a pale gules a fess argent (for Austria).

High offices (Reichserzämter) Arms Office and Blazon Arch-Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Empire Azure a sceptre Or. Azure two sceptres in saltire Or. Arch-Steward of the Holy Roman Empire

Gules, an orb Or. Arch-Treasurer of the Holy Roman Empire

Gules, the imperial crown proper. Arch-Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire

Per fess sable and argent, two swords in saltire gules.

Prince-electors