Mysterious insignia

December 20, 2008 10:08 PM

What can you tell me about this insignia on an epaulet?

Clearly it shows two crossed keys. The symbol in the top central area was debated to be either an owl or an pineapple. I suppose the stripes show rank. Is there an overarching meaning to the whole thing? It appeared on a sweater of indeterminate origin.

posted by exogenous to grab bag (11 comments total)

Looks somewhat similar to the Vatican coat-of-arms.
posted by kickingtheground at 10:25 PM on December 20, 2008

Crossed keys are for the Storekeeper rating in the US Navy. The two rate marks would be for the rank of E-2, Seaman Apprentice. I don't know what the upper device represents, but I don't think it's USN.
posted by troy at 10:29 PM on December 20, 2008

It looks somewhat like the British crest 'item' (no idea what the proper term is) known as the 'Crowned Gate'.

I'm having a hard time finding decent images online, but you can see an example of a gate within a different context in the old Canada Customs badge (no longer in use).

The gate there is superimposed on a maple leaf, but you can get the idea.

Here's an example of a Crowned Gate from the UK Parliment.

Given what was said by the other posters above I'd hazard a guess that the crest you submitted is the coast guard or navy of somewhere associated to the Commonwealth (aka British Empire).
posted by tiamat at 10:46 PM on December 20, 2008

It's definitely not USN.
posted by Confess, Fletch at 10:48 PM on December 20, 2008

NSW Corrective Services in Australia have a similar insignia of crossed keys. I think it's for the security manager of a correctional facility. Perhaps it is from a prison uniform?
posted by robotot at 12:28 AM on December 21, 2008

Could that be a small American eagle on top with spread wings?
posted by Knappster at 12:37 AM on December 21, 2008

Japanese security guard uniform? There's a logo on the car in the photo on page 45 of this book that looks similar, and the page before talks about an owl/cross-keys logo for Nihon Keibi Hosho.
posted by holgate at 1:05 AM on December 21, 2008

Group 4 Security badge has owl over crossed keys.
posted by sarahw at 1:06 AM on December 21, 2008

Yeah, sarahw beat me to it: Group 4 fits too, though the epaulet owl is a bit tuftier than the one in the badge. Owl+keys seems to mean "security guard", for obvious reasons.
posted by holgate at 1:14 AM on December 21, 2008

Group 4 looks like it.

It looks somewhat like the British crest 'item' (no idea what the proper term is) known as the 'Crowned Gate'.

That's the badge of the UK Parliament. I believe it's known as the Tudor Portcullis, but I could be wrong. Commons and Lords both use it, in different colours to denote the different houses.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 1:44 AM on December 21, 2008

Sorry for the poor cameraphone image. I think the owl interpretation is correct.
posted by exogenous at 8:30 AM on December 21, 2008