Mission San Rafael Arcángel's Cattle Brand: The Backwards "P"

Mission San Rafael Arcángel (21st of 21 California missions, founded 1817) branded its cattle with a distinctive mark:

⊥ — a backwards (reversed) capital "P"

Context

• Period: 1817–1834 (secularization).
• Purpose: Identify mission livestock on open range; prevent theft; settle ownership disputes.
• Method: Hot iron applied to hip/shoulder during annual rodeo (roundup).
• Herd size: Peaked ~20,000 head (cattle, sheep, horses).

Why a Backwards P?

• Likely for San Rafael — "R" reversed? Or "P" for Padre / Pueblo / Propiedad? Exact rationale lost.
• Brands were designed to be distinct at distance, hard to alter (e.g., "P" → "B" → "R" easily; reversed "P" less so).

Other Mission Brands

• San Francisco Solano: "S" with crossbar.
• San Antonio de Padua: "A" with bar.
• Santa Clara: "C" with serif.

The brand is recorded in the California Mission Brand Book (Bancroft Library). Today, Mission San Rafael's original adobe chapel is gone; a 1949 replica stands on the site.