Great Seal and Coat of Arms of the United States

The second main symbol of the United States after the flag is not the coat of arms, but the Great Seal, which symbolizes the power and might of the federal government. What is unusual is that this seal has two sides: obverse and reverse. Only the obverse is used to seal such important state documents as international treaties, and the image of the obverse is the national emblem of the United States.

Already during the struggle for independence, the 13 colonies of New England chose the eagle as their single symbol. Such a choice is very unusual, the fact is that by that time the eagle had already firmly established itself as a symbol of the empire.
The decision to develop a design for the seal was made by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the same day that the independence of the United States was proclaimed.

The committee for the development of the project included John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, as well as the artist Pierre Eugène du Simitiere. Each of them developed their own project. Thus, Franklin proposed the following plot: Pharaoh, sitting on an open cart, with a crown on his head and a saber in his hand, pursues the Israelites, who are leaving between the parted waters of the Red Sea; fire burns in the clouds, thereby expressing the presence and guidance of God; the reflection of the fire falls on Moses, who, standing on the shore, stretches out his hand across the sea, showing that he has left Pharaoh; the motto: “Rebellion against tyranny pleases God.”

Adams proposed to depict Hercules resting on his club, Virtue “pointing to the rough road up the mountain on which she stands and urging him to begin the ascent,” and Sloth “looking upon her flower-strewn path of pleasure, reclining temptingly on the ground, and trying by her charms to lead to sin.” Jefferson proposed to depict on the obverse the Children of Israel led through the darkness by a pillar of light, and on the reverse the brothers Hengist and Horsa, two legendary leaders of the Anglo-Saxon settlers.
But all these designs were too allegorical and obscure, so they were rejected.

Simitiere proposed to depict a shield, on six fields of which were to be depicted: in a gold field, the red and white Tudor rose (England); a thistle (Scotland); in a green field, a golden harp (Ireland); in a blue field, a golden lily (France); In a gold field a black eagle (Germany); in a gold field a rushing red lion (Holland). Around the shield is a red border on which are 13 silver shields connected by a gold chain. On the shields are the initials of the names of the 13 states. Shield holders: Liberty with a scepter topped with a Phrygian cap in one hand and a shield in the other and Justice with a sword and scales in her hands. Kleinod is the eye of Providence.

The description of this project, although approved by Congress on August 20, 1776, however, the drawing was rejected. Another project for a seal was submitted to Congress on May 10, 1780. This project, made by Francis Hopkinson, represented a coat of arms, in the heraldic shield of which there are 13 silver and red bands. The shield was supported by a warrior with a sword (one of the options – an Indian with a bow and quiver of arrows) in his left hand and an allegorical figure of Peace (in the form of a woman with an olive branch in her hand). Kleinod – a constellation of 13 stars. Motto: “Bello vel Paci” (“For peace or for war”).

It was proposed to depict Liberty on the back of the seal (a woman sitting on a chair and holding an olive branch and a pole with a Phrygian cap raised on it). But this project was not approved by Congress either.
Then Philadelphian William Barton, familiar with heraldry, was brought in to create the seal, and by 1782 he had developed several projects:
1. The coat of arms is divided into three pillars, the two outer ones repeat the design of the “star-spangled” flag, in the middle azure – a silver column, above it – a silver eagle and the eye of Providence. The shield is crowned with a knight’s helmet, in the crest – a rooster. Shield holders: on the right – a woman symbolizing America with a crown, in white clothes with a blue belt and a sash over her right shoulder with the inscription “VIRTUS”, holds the US flag in her right hand; on the left – a knight in armor, on helmet – a plume of white and two blue feathers and a laurel wreath, holds in his left hand a green banner with an image of a harp in the center (symbol of the northern states), on the sides of which are lilies (France), above – a six-pointed star, below – two silver crossed swords. Mottoes: above – “VIRTUS SOLA INVICTA”, below – “DEO FAVENTE”.

2. The coat of arms with a silver border is cut by three columns, the two outer ones are crossed by red and silver belts, in the middle blue – a column, above which an eagle. The shield is crowned with a knight’s helmet, in the crest – a silver eagle holding in its claws the flag of the USA, a sword and a wreath. Supporters: on the right – a woman symbolizing America with a crown, in white clothes with a blue belt, a sash over her right shoulder with the inscription “VIRTUS” and a bandage on her head, on her right hand – a dove; on the left – a soldier in the uniform of that time, holding in his left hand a blue staff with an image of stars. Mottoes: above – “IN VINDICIAM LIBERTATIS”, below – “VIRTUS SOLA INVICTA”.

On May 13, these sketches were given to Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson, who combined in one design an eagle with outspread wings, a shield with the national colors, an olive branch, arrows, 13 stars and the motto “Out of many, one.” True, in this design there were red rafters on a blue shield.

This project was presented to Congress, which, after heated debate, approved it as the State Seal on June 20, 1782.
It depicts in natural colors an American bald eagle with outstretched wings and gold weapons; in his right claw he holds a green olive branch with thirteen leaves, and in his left – a bunch of thirteen silver arrows; on the eagle’s chest is a shield with 13 alternating red and white columns, the head of the shield is blue; in his beak the eagle holds a gold ribbon with the motto: “E Ptimalbius unum”; above his head soars a white cloud in which in a golden glow is a blue field with 13 silver five-pointed stars (1, 4, 3, 4, 1). The shield on the eagle’s chest is actually the United States’ own coat of arms – a modified American “stars and stripes” flag; the 13 stripes symbolize the 13 original states, and the blue stripe linking the red and white stripes symbolizes “uniting as one in Congress.”

The olive branch and the bundle of 13 arrows in the eagle’s claws symbolize that Congress has the power to declare war or make peace. The thirteen stars above the eagle’s head not only recall the thirteen founding states of the United States, but also symbolize that the new state takes its place among the sovereign states. The motto translates as “Out of many, one” or “In diversity one” and is a quotation from the works of Virgil. This motto was allegedly accidentally seen in an old issue of the Gentleman’s Journal for 1692 by the artist Pierre Eugène du Simitiere, who took part in the work on the printing project.

The first impression of the Great Seal was made on September 16, 1782, on a document signed by George Washington, which concerned agreements with Great Britain on the exchange of prisoners and the improvement of their treatment.
Interestingly, the seal depicts not a conventional heraldic eagle, but a very specific species – a bald eagle. It is known that Benjamin Franklin was unhappy with this design of the seal, considering the eagle a robber and murderer bird; he did not officially propose any projects, but in a letter to his daughter Sarah in 1784 he spoke in favor of depicting a turkey, a purely American bird, famous for its “attacks” on British grenadiers, who had bright red uniforms.
Until 1885, the design on the obverse of the State Seal was repeatedly changed and redesigned (at one time, the seal mistakenly depicted 6 arrows in the eagle’s claw), until it acquired its current appearance.

The color drawing of the seal was made in 1890 by the artist Graham. The first Great Seal itself was cut on copper, and the seventh seal is currently in use, which is engraved on steel and exactly repeats the drawing of 1885.

The reverse of the National Seal features a pyramid, which symbolizes strength and endurance. The pyramid has 13 levels, symbolizing the 13 original states, and is unfinished, symbolizing that the nation can still be built and expanded. The pyramid is also an allegorical symbol, as the Founding Fathers of the United States compared themselves to the Children of Israel, who fled the tyranny of Pharaoh to build a new Jerusalem.

Above the pyramid is the Eye of Providence. This image is surrounded by two inscriptions: at the top – “Annuit Coeptis” (“He blesses our enterprise”), at the bottom – “Novus Ordo Seclorum” (“New order for all time”); which are also quotations from Virgil. On the base of the pyramid is the date MDCCLXXVI, which means 1776.
The design of the reverse of the seal was also designed by Barton, the mottos were suggested by Thomson.
The reverse of the Great Seal was never used as a seal itself, but its image was placed on the one-dollar bill by an act of President Roosevelt on July 2, 1935, and remains on them to this day.