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Pro pelle cutem (a Latin phrase meaning “a pelt for a skin”) is the traditional motto of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC). It was adopted soon after the company received its charter in 1670.
Hudson's Bay Company Coat of Arms
Hudson's Bay Company coat of arms, at the entrance of a store at Southgate Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, 24 May 2025. The coat of arms includes the motto, Pro pelle cutem (“a pelt for a skin").
(photo by Arthur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Motto
Both the origin and the interpretation of the motto have been much debated. It may be an adaptation of pellem pro pelle from the Biblical verse Job 2:4 (usually translated as “skin for skin”) or of pro cute pellem by the Roman poet Juvenal in his Satire 10, line 192 (“hide in place of skin”). The motto is often taken to mean “[animal] skins obtained at the cost of [human] skin.” (See also Beaver Pelts; Fur Trade.)
Background
The motto was adopted once HBC received its charter in 1670. The motto remained on the company’s coat of arms, apart from a brief period of rebranding between 2002 and 2013. (See also Emblems of Canada.) In March 2025, HBC filed for creditor protection and began liquidating its stores. In June of that year, the Canadian Tire Corporation, Ltd. was granted court approval to purchase HBC’s intellectual property and brand assets, which includes the HBC’s coat of arms.
