The portcullis design is recorded as the work of Charles Barry in 1834 and is used on many Royal commissions such as on the Great Bell ("Big Ben").
<p>As well as wide use of the portcullis design with varied supporting emblems, this specific version with the crown has been used by HM Customs and Excise "for some centuries."
</p><p>There was a formal grant to both Houses of Parliament by Queen Elizabeth II in 1996. A grant for official use is not a claim of copyright. It is not possible to retrospectively claim copyright of an emblem or logo where publication and usage dates back more than two centuries.
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This information is based on House of Commons Information Office paper "The Portcullis", published in 2010.
Charles Barry
2014-03-15 11:24:36
Original versions can be found published at <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://parliament.uk/">http://parliament.uk/</a> and on correspondence from both the House of Lords and House of Commons.