The coat of arms of Samoa takes its inspiration from the United Nations, as New Zealand administered Western Samoa first as a League of Nations Mandate and then as a United Nations trusteeship until the country received its independence on 1 January 1962, as Western Samoa. Samoa was the first Polynesian nation to reestablish independence in the 20th century. The background is cross-hatched with a grid like the United Nations arms, most of the other elements are duplicated on the national flag.

The official crest or badge of Samoa is the Public Seal of Samoa excluding the surrounding concentric circles, and the words "The Public Seal of the Independent State of Samoa". The public seal is defined by legislation as follows:^[1]

A silver shield with the lower two-thirds blue, having thereon 5 silver stars representing the constellation of the Southern Cross, of the same shape and the same relative sizes and dispositions among themselves as in the Flag of Samoa; one half of the upper third depicting a green sea with a green coconut palm issuing therefrom; the shield being surmounted by a gold cross, and superimposed on 2 concentric circles of the world and the olive leaves as in the United Nations Badge, and bearing the subscription of the motto "Fa'avae i Le Atua Samoa", meaning in the English language "God be the Foundation of Samoa", the whole being contained within surrounding concentric circles between which are inscribed the words "The Public Seal of the Independent State of Samoa.

• Coat of arms from the Kingdom of Samoa 1873 to 1900
• Proposed, but ultimately unused, coat of arms of German Samoa in 1914.
• Badge of the Western Samoa Trust Territory from 1925 to 1951
• Coat of arms of Western Samoa from 1951 to 1962.