The current Seal of the City and County of San Francisco was adopted on March 1, 1859. In this the main figures, a miner and a sailor, stand on either side of a shield on which is depicted a steamer entering the Golden Gate. At the bottom is a scroll with the words "Oro en Paz, en Guerro Fierro," which is Spanish for gold in peace, iron in war. At the bottom also are the symbols of commerce, agriculture, and mining. The crest is a Phoenix issuing from flames.

The Flag of the City of San Francisco was designed by John M. Gamble, and adopted on April 14, 1900. The Phoenix, the crest of the city, taken from its seal, is used to symbolize the municipality. Although originally intended to symbolize the era of prosperity the city entered after the consolidation of the City and County of San Francisco, many now see the Phoenix as emblematic of the city's rebirth following the earthquake and fire of 1906. The Phoenix holds a banner bearing the motto "Oro en Paz, Fierro en Guerra" (see above).

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