City Seal
The city seal was designed to show the Far East Trade that shaped Salem's commercial history. George Peabody, son of the patriarch of the pepper merchants, and himself a ship owner, drew a design of a man wearing a flat turban, red trousers and belt, and blue jacket meant to represent the Sumatran men that they traded with for the pepper trade. In the center is a full-rigged vessel on the high seas. The palm tree near the figure indicates what part of the world it is. A dove is bearing an olive branch of peace in its mouth. Around the circumference translated from Latin are the dates of Salem's founding(1626) and incorporation(1836).
The Motto of the city on the seal is:
"To the Farthest Port of the Rich East"
See Also
Vertical File in the Salem Collection - Salem City Seal
Town and City Seals of Massachusetts by Forbes, p. 102-3
Historical Sketch of Salem, 1626-1879 Osgood, p. 56-7
