Annuit Cœptis - wikipedia Annuit Cœptis The reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States Annuit cœptis ( / ˈænjuːɪt ˈsɛptɪs / ; in Classical Latin : ( ˈannuɪt ˈkoe̯ptiːs ) ) is one of two mottos on the reverse side of the Great Seal of the United States. ( The second motto is Novus ordo seclorum ; another motto appears on the obverse ( front ) side of the Great Seal : E pluribus unum. ) Taken from the Latin words annuo ( third - person singular present or perfect annuit ), `` to nod '' or `` to approve '', and coeptum ( plural coepta ), `` commencement, undertaking '', it is literally translated, `` ( he ) favors our undertakings '' or `` ( he ) has favored our undertakings '' ( annuit could be in either the present or perfect tense ). Contents 1 On the Great Seal 2 Change from Deo Favente to Annuit Cœptis 3 Classical source of the motto 4 Notes 5 References 6 Further reading 7 External links On the Great Seal In 1782, Sam Adams appointed a design artist, William Barton of Philadelphia, to bring a proposal for the national seal. For the reverse, Barton suggested a thirteen - layered pyramid underneath the Eye of Providence. The mottos which Barton chose to accompany the design were Deo Favente ( `` with God 's favor '', or more literally, `` with God favoring '' ) and Perennis ( `` Everlasting '' ). The pyramid and Perennis motto had come from a $50 Continental currency bill designed by Francis Hopkinson. Barton 's Design with Deo Favente and Perennis. Barton explained that the motto alluded to the Eye of Providence : `` Deo favente which alludes to the Eye in the Arms, meant for the Eye of Providence. '' In western art, God is traditionally represented by the Eye of Providence, which principally symbolizes God 's omniscience. When designing the final version of the Great Seal, Charles Thomson ( a former Latin teacher ) kept the pyramid and eye for the reverse side but replaced the two mottos, using Annuit Cœptis instead of Deo Favente ( and Novus Ordo Seclorum instead of Perennis ). When he provided his official explanation of the meaning of this motto, he wrote : The Eye over it ( the pyramid ) and the motto Annuit Cœptis allude to the many signal interpositions of providence in favor of the American cause. Change from Deo Favente to Annuit Cœptis Detail of the U.S. one - dollar bill. Annuit Cœptis is translated by the U.S. State Department, the U.S. Mint, and the U.S. Treasury as, `` He ( God ) has favored our undertakings '' ( brackets in original ). However, the original Latin does not explicitly state who ( or what ) is the subject of the sentence. Robert Hieronimus, who wrote a Ph. D. dissertation about this portion of the Great Seal, argued that Thomson 's intent was to find a phrase that contained exactly 13 letters to fit the theme of the seal. On the obverse was E Pluribus Unum ( 13 letters ), along with 13 stars, 13 horizontal stripes ( on the shield on back of the US $1 Dollar Bill ), 13 vertical stripes, 13 arrows, 13 olive leaves, and 13 olives. The frustum under the motto, Annuit Cœptis, has 13 layers. According to Hieronimus, Annuit Cœptis has 13 letters and was selected to fit the theme. Deo Favente had only ten letters. Classical source of the motto According to Richard S. Patterson and Richardson Dougall, Annuit coeptis ( meaning `` favor our undertakings '' ) and the other motto on the reverse of the Great Seal, Novus ordo seclorum ( meaning `` new order of the ages '' ) can both be traced to lines by the Roman poet Virgil. Annuit cœptis comes from the Aeneid, book IX, line 625, which reads, Iuppiter omnipotens, audacibus adnue coeptis. It is a prayer by Ascanius, the son of the hero of the story, Aeneas, which translates to, `` Jupiter Almighty, favour ( my ) bold undertakings '', just before slaying an enemy warrior, Numanus. Notes Jump up ^ The note can be seen here, and the pyramid portion here. References Jump up ^ `` E Pluribus Unum - Origin and Meaning of the Motto Carried by the American Eagle ''. greatseal.com. Jump up ^ `` Annuit Coeptis - Origin and Meaning of the Motto Above the Pyramid & Eye ''. greatseal.com. Jump up ^ MacArthur, John D. ( 2011 ). `` Third Committee ''. Retrieved 11 - 25 - 2011. Jump up ^ `` Third Committee 's Design for the Great Seal - 1782 ''. greatseal.com. Jump up ^ Papers of the Continental Congress, item 23, folios 137 - 139. Jump up ^ Journals of the Continental Congress, June 1782 Jump up ^ `` The Great Seal of the United States '' ( PDF ). U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs. 2003. Retrieved November 25, 2011. Jump up ^ Bureau of Engraving, Currency Notes Jump up ^ U.S. Treasury ( 2010 ). `` Portraits & Designs ''. Retrieved 11 - 25 - 2011. Jump up ^ In The Oxford Handbook of Church and State in the United States. New York : Oxford University Press, 2010 ) Jump up ^ Hieronimus, Robert ( 2005 ). Founding Fathers, Secret Societies : Freemasons, Illuminati, Rosicrucians, and the Decoding of the Great Seal. Inner Traditions / Bear & Co. pp. 111 --. ISBN 978 - 1 - 59477 - 865 - 0. Jump up ^ Vergilius Maro, Publius ( 29 - 19 BC ). Aeneid. Retrieved 11 - 25 - 2011. Further reading Richard S. Patterson, Richardson Dougall, The Eagle and The Shield : A History of The Great Seal of The United States ( United States ; Department of State ; Department and Foreign Service series ; Department of State publication, 8900 ). 1978 External links Media related to Annuit coeptis at Wikimedia Commons United States currency and coinage Topics Federal Reserve System Federal Reserve Note U.S. dollar U.S. Mint Philadelphia San Francisco Denver West Point Bureau of Engraving and Printing Mutilated currency Current coinage Penny ( 1 ¢ ) Nickel ( 5 ¢ ) Dime ( 10 ¢ ) Quarter ( 25 ¢ ) Half dollar ( 50 ¢ ) Dollar ( $1 ) Bullion coinage America the Beautiful Silver Bullion Coins American Buffalo American Gold Eagle American Platinum Eagle American Silver Eagle American Palladium Eagle Current paper money $1 $2 $5 $10 $20 $50 $100 See also Bicentennial coinage Commemoratives Early Commemoratives Modern Commemoratives Confederate dollar Large denominations Obsolete denominations Promotional fake denominations Counterfeit United States currency Mill Coin production In God We Trust E pluribus unum Annuit cœptis Nicknames Replacement banknote Sales tax token National symbols of the United States Symbols Flag of the United States Seal of the United States Bald eagle Uncle Sam Columbia General Grant ( tree ) American 's Creed Pledge of Allegiance Rose Oak American bison Phrygian cap Songs `` The Star - Spangled Banner '' `` Dixie '' `` America the Beautiful '' `` The Stars and Stripes Forever '' `` Hail to the Chief '' `` Hail, Columbia '' `` My Country, ' Tis of Thee '' `` God Bless America '' `` Lift Every Voice and Sing '' `` The Army Goes Rolling Along '' `` Anchors Aweigh '' `` Marines ' Hymn '' `` Semper Fidelis '' `` The Air Force Song '' `` Semper Paratus '' `` National Emblem '' `` The Washington Post March '' `` Battle Hymn of the Republic '' `` Yankee Doodle '' `` You 're a Grand Old Flag '' `` When Johnny Comes Marching Home '' `` This Land Is Your Land '' Mottos In God We Trust E Pluribus Unum Novus ordo seclorum Annuit cœptis Landmarks Statue of Liberty ( Liberty Enlightening the World ) Liberty Bell Mount Rushmore National Mall West Potomac Park Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title= Annuit_cœptis&oldid = 831448257 '' Categories : Latin mottos National symbols of the United States Talk Contents About Wikipedia Čeština Deutsch Español فارسی Français Latina 日本 語 Português Slovenčina Türkçe 3 more Edit links This page was last edited on 20 March 2018, at 17 : 22. 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Question: what does annuit coeptis on the dollar bill
Answer: [he] favors our undertakings