13
13
13
13
5
Olive branch on the left and Oak on the right.
A torch with an olive branch on the left and an oak branch on the right.
olive branch
In one talon the eagle clutches arrows (representing war) and in the other talon an olive branch (representing peace) The eagles head is turned facing the olive branch to represent peace. I read somewhere that in the oval office there is actually a carpet brought out in times of war that has the eagle head facing towards the arrows.
Olive branch on left, oak branch on right.
Right talon 13 arrows representing war left talon olive branch with 13 leaves representing peace
It has a torch in the middle with an olive branch to the left and an oak branch on the right.
In ancient Rome, the first republic, the olive branch symbolized peace. Since the United States government is partially based on the Roman Republic, we also use the olive branch symbol. The olive branch, held in the right talon of the eagle, only holds significance when paired with the arrow, which is held in the left talon of the eagle. Together, these 2 symbols represent that the United States of America desires peace and searches for it, although they are ready for war at any time. The olive branch itself is a symbol of peace, and the fact that the eagle is facing the olive branch shows that USA prefers peace whenever possible. It is interesting to note that the olive branch is usually depicted with 13 olives and 13 leaves, representing the original 13 colonies.