PC2542. Description: A vintage silver shield charm for Mauritius, an island nation off the coast of Africa in the southwest Indian Ocean. This pretty enameled shield shows the national coat of arms, which was granted on 25 August 1906, and depicts various attributes of the island. In the lower right quarter is a key and on the left-hand side is a white star, which are referred to in the Latin motto "Stella Clavisque Maris Indici" ("The Star and the Key of the Indian Ocean"). The supporters are a dodo and a deer each holding a sugar cane, the island's staple crop.