I’m answering a question from another thread, but I thought maybe it fit better here.
mquigley;88478 wrote:

I suppose this would be a good question for Joe (but I would welcome a response from anyone with an answer)... How would you blazon the Seal of the Department of the Navy? I am thinking about what it might look like if placed on a shield? What would the motto be? (There are a few that pop to mind… and "A Global Force For Good" ain’t one of ‘em!) What of the crest?

Also, I have seen a line drawing of the original Seal of the Board of Admiralty (predating our Department of the Navy), but I am currious as to the tinctures and blazon. Have you any insight?

 

Cheers!

Information and images for both seals can be found on this page.

Executive Order 10736 gives the following blazon for the new Department of the Navy Seal:

Quote:

On a circular background of fair sky and moderate sea with land in sinister base, a three-masted square-rigged ship under way before a fair breeze with after topsail furled, commission pennant atop the foremast, National Ensign atop the main, and the commodore’s flag atop the mizzen. In front of the ship a Luce-type anchor inclined slightly bendwise with the crown resting on the land and, in front of the shank and in back of the dexter fluke, an American bald eagle rising to sinister regarding to dexter, one foot on the ground, the other resting on the anchor near the shank; all in proper colors. The whole within a blue annulet bearing the inscription "DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY" at the top and "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" at the bottom, separated on each side by a mullet and within a rim in the form of a rope; inscription, rope, mullet, and edges of annulet all gold;

Read more at the American Presidency Project: Dwight D. Eisenhower: Executive Order 10736—Adopting an official seal for the Department of the Navy http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=59261#ixzz1bTjjETKQ

Cheers.

Carl

I submit that this is not a coat of arms, but a seal - they may be the same thing, in this case they aren’t.  I would also submit that the "blazon" is a description of a seal using some heraldic terminology.  I’m unsure that the US Navy has a coat of arms (at least I can’t find one).  On some perusal of the TIOH arms of Naval Ships - these actually are arms.  Maybe someone knows more than I, but after spending a bit of time, at TIOH and some other sites - I don’t see anywhere that the seal is referred to as a COA.

If your looking for the Navy, or Patent Office, Copyright people,,, or in general any federal or state government entity to use traditional heraldic rules or charges… you will be looking for a long time. While traditional blazons and such may happen… I’m pretty sure it’s not codified.

StarScepter;89268 wrote:

If your looking for the Navy, or Patent Office, Copyright people,,, or in general any federal or state government entity to use traditional heraldic rules or charges… you will be looking for a long time. While traditional blazons and such may happen… I’m pretty sure it’s not codified.

The two statements ("you’ll be looking for a long time" and "not codified") don’t go together. One can find plenty of heraldry even though the use of heraldry isn’t mandatory.

In fact, it’s probably a safe bet (although I haven’t counted) that most federal offices have heraldic seals. Certainly a majority of the cabinet departments do: State, Treasury, Defense, Justice, Agriculture, Commerce, Labor, Energy (not very good heraldry, but heraldry), and Homeland Security (sort of). Also CIA, NSA, FBI, ATF, Marshals Service, Secret Service, and GAO. Also the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Labor Relations Authority, the Federal Reserve Board, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives. The Census Bureau’s seal is almost armorial, lacking only officially specified tinctures.

Not to mention the President, the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Supreme Court: all have heraldic seals.

Of the three modern military departments, only the Dept of the Air Force has arms; the departments of the Army and Navy have seals of non-armorial design. The Coast Guard also has an armorial seal and badge.

And, of course, literally hundreds if not thousands of bona fide heraldic arms of Army regiments and battalions, Air Force formations and units at all levels, and Navy and Coast Guard ships.

To answer Michael’s original question about the revolutionary-era Board of Admiralty: Per chevron Azure and Argent in base an anchor bendwise proper, over all on a chevron Gules six pallets Argent.

http://www.americanheraldry.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=956&d=1319281410

The modern Department of the Navy has no official motto.  Several were proposed when the seal was being codified, but the decision was ultimately to do without.  The Air Force also has no official motto.

Joseph McMillan;89269 wrote:

One can find plenty of heraldry even though the use of heraldry isn’t mandatory.

Didn’t mean to say that there was no heraldry or organization symbols. Just that they don’t seem to have a unifying style. Most seem to be seals, some are shields, and some are not very good not matter what style was used.

Joseph,

Thanks for the blazon of the US Navy’s Revolutionary Seal of the Board Admiralty. I must admit… I rather like it… I might try my hand at it in a more traditional rendering… less 18th century looking… and without making it a seal per se. I wonder if the crest of the ship should be placed on a helm or not? Obviously, this is all subjective, but I would welcome guidance.

Cheers!

Michael

Dear Michael,

The sailing ship has been placed on a torse and is thus definitely a crest, so, if you decide to paint a more traditional rendering of the arms, then, a helmet will not be out of place despite not being used in the original seal.

Regards,

Iain Boyd

Thanks, Iain. I figured as much, but wanted the sanity check!

Cheers,

Michael

Personal opinion only, but IMO inserting a helmet in the Reolutionary Navy’s arms would be more than a bit of an anachronism—just as doing so with the US arms would be.  We have ~~ 200 years of precedent for including (or excluding, at will) helmets in personal or family arms, and in the arms of some military units and state &  local goivernments; but none that I can recall for the arms (or almost-arms) of Federal Departments at the cabinet or military department level.