A couple of weeks ago I was in Algiers and had occasion to visit the U.S. Embassy, and discovered to my delight that they have the original coat of arms that formerly hung above the entrance to the U.S. Consular Agency in Oran, displayed on the wall in the embassy atrium. I just received a photograph taken by the embassy public affairs staff:
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeohzt4/heraldry/Oran.jpg
The Oran agency was only in existence for a few decades, I believe from about 1905 to the early 1930s, so this sign probably dates to the early part of that period. I thought it was interesting to see what the arms looked like before bureaucratic standardization set in.
Joe,
That’s a kick-@$$ eagle!! I thought it might be a carry over from "the shores of Tripoli" ... but that is a 1,600km drive.
By the way, here is the coat of arms for Oran:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/Armoirie_oran.png/476px-Armoirie_oran.png
Great example of an older version of the US arms. Thanks for sharing, Joe.
Guy, interesting arms of Oran and interesting placement of the motto. The motto reads, "My people are never conquered and my guests are never ill treated."
Hassan,
Thank you for the translation!
—Guy
Guy, my pleasure.