City Seal
From Salem Links and Lore
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.
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