What is sitting on this shield? Is it a crest, or what?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/24/Seal_of_Austin,_Texas.gif
I actually like this one.
Mike,
Looks to me like the capitol voided and a sword (or cross) between two wings? Dont know if it counts as a crest or not, looks interesting though.
Hardouin wrote:
Mike,
Looks to me like the capitol voided and a sword (or cross) between two wings? Dont know if it counts as a crest or not, looks interesting though.
As an Austin resident, I can confirm that.
The wings and cross are allegedly drawn from the familial crest of Stephen F. Austin, but as a I speculated on the other board this may not actually be true.
I would expect that once the ultra-leftists of this town realise there is a cross on the city seal, they’ll be up in arms.
Good news is, these arms are used extensively.
Well, this insignia is used extensively, but the arms alone rarely are. The city’s corporate identity manual does not permit the arms to be used separately from the insignia.
The capitol isn’t voided, it’s fimbriated, but it should be solid. It’s supposed to be a "crown" over the shield, to echo the City’s designated as the City of the Violet Crown bestowed by O. Henry. And the lamp is supposed to be tenne, not Or, for The University of Texas.
As for the crest, Matthews American Armory (1907) shows the arms used by SFA’s son have the cross between wings crest and attributes its first use in America to Elijah Austin, 1775.
The arms were designed by Ray F. Coyle of San Francisco as part of his entry in a contest for the city flag. Use of one or more elements from the Austin coat of arms was one criteria of the flag contest. The city resolution adopting the flag references the symbolism of the design and it makes no mention of Christianity, but specifically to SFA’s coat of arms.
(SFA actually modified Elijah’s coat of arms to make reference to his pioneer status, but his son reverted back to 1775 arms.)
The city has never officially adopted the design as the city’s coat of arms or as its seal; the official seal of the city is a star of five points surrounted by the words "City of Austin, Texas".
Mark, can you point me to your other post so I can read it.
