SHIELD
Azure, a mascle Gules enfiled by two anchors saltirewise Argent above a lobster fesswise of the second; a bordure Or.
CREST
From a wreath Argent and Azure, a demi-compass rose Or superimposed by a silhouette of the twin lighthouses of Matinicus Rock Sable on a snow covered rocky shoreline Proper.
MOTTO
A scroll Azure, fimbriated and inscribed "CIPENULSIS" Or, which means "DOWN EAST BUOY TENDER" in Passamaquoddy language.
SEAL
The coat of arms as blazoned in full color on a white disk enclosed by a dark blue border edged on the outside with a gold rope and inscribed "USCGC ABBIE BURGESS" above and "WLM 553" below in gold.
SHIELD
Blue, red and white are the colors traditionally associated with the United States Coast Guard; gold is emblematic of excellence and red denotes valor. The crossed anchors are adapted from the Coast Guard Seal and suggest cooperation and teamwork. The mascle or lozenge is a heraldic device that is associated with the distaff or female domain and suggests Abbie Burgess. It is red to highlight her courageous zeal in tending the Matinicus Rock Light off the coast of Maine. The location of the Matinicus Rock Light is also represented by the lobster, which symbolizes Maine's heritage of hard-working lobstermen and seafaring people. The border alludes to a shoreline and suggests an island highlighting the lighthouses' location.
CREST
The stylized twin towers and quarters of Matinicus Rock Light on the rocky shore where Abbie Burgess endured hardships and discomforts tending to the lights and saving lives is combined with a compass rose, symbolizing the guidance these lights have given to storm-driven sailors to warn them of dangerous rocks and reefs. The compass rose also alludes to the rays of a lighthouse lantern and underscores the cutter's mission of tending lighthouses and buoys and its search and rescue mission.