1776

1

BEFORE IT ADJOURNED ON JULY 4, 1776, THEContinental Congress of the newly independent United States passed a resolution:

Resolved, that Dr. Franklin, Mr. J. Adams

and Mr. Jefferson, be a committee, to bring

in a device for a seal for the United States of

America.

Thus, three of the five men who had drafted the

Declaration of Independence were brought together

in further service to their country. The revolutionaries needed an emblem and national coat of arms

to give visible evidence of a sovereign nation and a

free people with high aspirations and grand hopes

for the future. The task proved far more difficult

than anticipated; it took 6 years, two more committees, and the combined efforts of 14 men before

the Great Seal of the United States became a reality

on June 20, 1782.

The Great Seal of the United States

The First Committee formed to “bring in a device

for a seal for the United States of America.”
1776

2

The First Committee

The challenge facing the committee was to translate intangible principles

and ideals into graphic symbols. Three of the best minds of the Age of

Enlightenment—Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson—struggled unsuccessfully

with Biblical and classical themes, including the Children of Israel in the

Wilderness and the Judgment of Hercules. Finally they sought the help of

a talented “drawer” and portrait artist, Pierre Eugene du Simitiere. To the

post of consultant, Du Simitiere brought some knowledge of heraldry—the

art of describing coats of arms—and also experience in designing seals. 

Four features recommended by the first committee and its consultant

were later adopted in the final seal: the Eye of Providence and the date of

independence (MDCCLXXVI), both of which appeared on the final reverse

side of the seal, and the shield and Latin motto, E Pluribus Unum (Out of

many, one), on the obverse side.

The first committee submitted its design on August 20, 1776, but the

Congress ordered the report “to lie on the table,” indicating lack of approval.

The Second Committee

In March 1780, the Congress turned the design and final report of the

first committee over to a new committee, composed of James Lovell, John

Morin Scott, and William Churchill Houston. They asked Francis

Hopkinson, the gifted Philadelphian who had designed the American flag

and the great seal of the State of New Jersey, to serve as their consultant.

They, too, failed to create an acceptable seal, but, influenced by the flag

adopted in 1777, they contributed to the final design 13 red and white

stripes, the constellation of 13 six-pointed stars, and the olive branch, a

symbol of peace.

The Third Committee

In May 1782 the Congress appointed a third committee. The three members—John Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Elias Boudinot—did little

or no serious work themselves, relying on the services of William Barton

Portrait artist Du Simitiere’s design for Franklin,

Adams, and Jefferson suggested shield, Eye of

Providence in radiant triangle, and motto, E

Pluribus Unum, all used in final design. Drawn

from original in Thomas Jefferson papers.

Designing a Seal
of Philadelphia. A young

lawyer with artistic skill and

well versed in heraldry, he

became a central figure in the

seal’s refinement.

Barton’s chief contribution

at this stage was the eagle,

not the American bald eagle,

but a small crested white

eagle “displayed” (with its

wings spread). He combined

it with a small flag and a

design for the reverse which

contained a 13-step unfinished pyramid and the first

committee’s Eye of Providence. He quickly drew up two designs and their

technical explanations, and the committee turned in its report 5 days after

it was appointed.

Charles Thomson’s Proposal

The Congress still was not satisfied. On June 13, 1782, it presented the

collected work and recommendations of the three committees to Charles

Thomson, Secretary of Congress. Thomson was not an artist, but he was a

practical man with the ability to get things done. He selected the best features of all the previous designs, assigning prominence to the eagle. Feeling

that the new nation’s symbol should be strictly American, however,

Thomson replaced Barton’s crested Imperial eagle with the native American

bald eagle, wings extending downward as though in flight. He placed in

the left talon a bundle of arrows and in the right, the olive branch.

Thomson’s modified crest (a device placed above the shield) was a constellation of 13 stars surrounded by clouds. The shield, borne on the

eagle’s breast, was a chevron design with alternating red and white stripes.

Adopting the motto E Pluribus Unum from the first

committee’s report, Thomson included it on a scroll

1977

3

1780

Second committee’s consultant, Francis

Hopkinson, contributed red, white,

and blue colors to shield; an olive branch;

and radiant constellation of 13 stars.

Great Seal Origins

Great seals have their origins in theroyal seals of the 7th, 8th, and 9th

centuries, but the first seal to be called

“great” was that of England’s King John

(1199-1216). The King’s Chamber acquired

a smaller seal of its own, called the

“privy seal,” for use in the sovereign’s

private business, and thereafter the

King’s seal became known as the “Great

Seal.” The U.S. seal is called “Great Seal”

although no “lesser” seal exists. 
1782

4

clenched in the eagle’s beak. His was the first proposal in which the final

design of the obverse can be seen.

In his design of the seal’s reverse, Thomson retained the pyramid with

the Eye of Providence in a triangle at the zenith and, as products of his

Latin scholarship, introduced the mottos Annuit Coeptis (He [God] has

favored our undertakings) over the eye and Novus Ordo Seclorum (A new

order of the ages) beneath the pyramid. He gave his rough sketches and

reports to Barton, depending on him to polish the designs.

The Final “Device”

Barton portrayed the eagle with its wings displayed, but with wing tips

upward, and simplified Thomson’s chevron arrangement of stripes on the

shield. He arranged 13 vertical stripes, alternately white and red, below a

rectangular blue “chief” (upper part of the shield). And he specified that

the arrows in the eagle’s left talon should number 13.

The designs were returned to Thomson on June 19, 1782. He made a

few alterations and overnight produced the “blazon” (written description)

with accompanying “Remarks and Explanation” and presented them to

the Continental Congress on June 20. The Congress acted the same day

to adopt the report, which did not contain a drawing of either design.

Thus, nearly 6 years after establishment of the first committee, Charles

Thomson and William Barton “brought in a device.” The Great Seal of

the United States was unique—simple and uncluttered, yet bold—the

composite product of many minds.

Lawyer William Barton’s design for third

committee combined white eagle, flag,

and reverse side with 13-step pyramid

and first committee’s Eye of Providence.
1977

5

June 20—Secretary of Congress Charles

Thomson united earlier suggestions, gave

them fresh and novel arrangement, pleasing in

its simplicity and lack of clutter. His design was

first to foreshadow one Congress adopted.

1782

“The Escutcheon is composed of the chief [upper part of shield]

& pale [perpendicular band], the two most honorable ordinaries

[figures of heraldry]. The Pieces, paly [alternating pales], represent the several states all joined in one solid compact entire,

supporting a Chief, which unites the whole & represents

Congress. The Motto alludes to this union. The pales in the arms

are kept closely united by the Chief and the Chief depends on

that union & the strength resulting from it for its support, to

denote the Confederacy of the United States of America & the

preservation of their union through Congress.

“The colours of the pales are those used in the flag of the

United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence,

Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the colour of the Chief signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice. The Olive branch and

arrows denote the power of peace & war which is exclusively

vested in Congress. The Constellation denotes a new State taking its place and rank among other sovereign powers. The

Escutcheon is born on the breast of an American Eagle without

any other supporters [figures represented as holding up the

shield] to denote that the United States of America ought to rely

on their own Virtue.

“Reverse. The pyramid signifies Strength and Duration: The Eye

over it & the Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of

providence in favour of the American cause. The date underneath is that of the Declaration of Independence and the words

under it signify the beginning of the New American Era, which

commences from that date.” ■

Charles Thomson’s “Remarks and Explanation,”

Adopted by the Continental Congress, June 20, 1782
1782

6

Symbolically, the seal reflects the beliefs and values that the Founding

Fathers attached to the new nation and wished to pass on to their

descendants. The report which Thomson submitted to the Congress

explained the obverse this way: The red and white stripes of the shield

“represent the several states... supporting a [blue] Chief which unites the

whole and represents Congress.” The colors are adopted from the

American flag: “White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness &

valour, and Blue, the colour of the Chief, signifies vigilance, perseverance

& justice.” The shield, or escutcheon, is “born on the breast of an

American Eagle without any other supporters to denote that the United

States of America ought to rely on their own Virtue.”

The number 13, denoting the 13 original States, is represented in the

bundle of arrows, the stripes of the shield, and the stars of the constellation. The olive branch and the arrows “denote the power of peace & war.”

The constellation of stars symbolizes a new nation taking its place among

other sovereign states. The motto E Pluribus Unum, emblazoned across

the scroll and clenched in the eagle’s beak, expresses the union of the 13

States. Recent scholarship has pointed out the probable source of this

motto: Gentlemen’s Magazine, published in London from 1732 to 1922,

was widely read by the educated in the American Colonies. Its title page

carried that same motto, and it is quite possible that it influenced the creators of the seal. 

The reverse, sometimes referred to as the spiritual side of the seal, contains the 13-step pyramid with the year 1776 in Roman numerals on the

base. At the summit of the pyramid is the Eye of Providence in a triangle

surrounded by a Glory (rays of light) and above it appears the motto

Annuit Coeptis. Along the lower circumference of the design appear the

words Novus Ordo Seclorum, heralding the beginning of the new American

era in 1776. 

First Great Seal, possibly engraved

by Robert Scot of Philadelphia in

1782. Brass die of seal was in use

almost 60 years.

Meaning of the Seal
1977

7

1782

The first die was cut from brass in 1782 by an engraver who has not been

positively identified (possibly Robert Scot of Philadelphia). It is thought

that Charles Thomson, since he was to have custody of the seal as

Secretary of the Continental Congress, took it upon himself to find an

engraver and someone to supply a suitable press. If Thomson provided a

drawing to the engraver, it has disappeared and no drawing made by the

Masi Treaty-Seal Die of 1825

European custom in the late 18th century called for the use of pendant seals on certain state documents, such as treaties. These seals

consisted of impressions of the die on red or white wax discs which

were then placed in silver or silver gilt boxes called skippets. The seal

and skippet were suspended from the document being sealed by

heavy ornamental cords that bound the pages together, passed

through the seal and its box, and ended in tassels.

The United States did not begin to use pendant seals until 1815 (on

the instrument of ratification of the Treaty of Ghent), and then it used the

die of the 1782 seal to make the wax impressions. But its small size compared unfavorably with the impressive European pendants. Seraphim

Masi of Washington, DC, was asked to design a special treaty seal. He

produced an elegant and graceful design, quite in contrast to the 1782

seal, and 411/16 inches in diameter. He didn’t follow the official description

of 1782 closely but produced a realistic, uncrested eagle turned slightly

to one side, as though resting on the branch of an olive tree. He clearly

defined 13 arrows, made the shield narrower and more pointed and

altered its crest, and centered the motto E Pluribus Unum over the

eagle’s head. This beautiful seal was used for treaties until 1871, when

the government ceased using pendant seals and retired the die. It is

available for viewing in the National Archives. 

Masi Treaty-Seal Die of 1825, used for 

pendant seals impressed in wax and enclosed

in gold or silver boxes, then fastened with 

ornamental cords and tassels to treaties.

1825

The Die Is Cut
1841

8

engraver has been found. In any case, the seal and its press came into existence sometime between June and September 1782. They were placed in

the State House in Philadelphia, and on September 16, Thomson used

them for the first time. That first sealed document was a full power

authorizing General Washington to negotiate and sign with the British an

agreement for the exchange, subsistence, and better treatment of prisoners

of war. It was signed by President of the Continental Congress John

Hanson and countersigned by Secretary Thomson. Thomson continued as

keeper of the seal until the Congress handed over power to the new government in 1789 and custody of the seal passed to the Secretary of State.

The 1782 seal, now on public display in the National Archives, is rather

archaic in appearance. It measures 25

/16 inches in diameter and carries a

relatively crude rendering of a crested eagle,1 thin-legged and awkward, its

head protruding into the constellation of six-pointed stars. The bundle of

13 arrows and the olive branch, bare of fruit, are pressed against the border of modified acanthus leaves.

1

The eagle on the Great Seal has always faced to its own right. The eagle that faced to its own

left (toward the arrows) was in the Presidential seal, and this was the design President Truman

altered in 1945 when he ordered the eagle’s head turned toward the olive branch.

1841

By 1841, the original die of 1782 had become worn, and a new steel die

was cut by John Peter Van Ness Throop of Washington, DC. This die has

been called “the illegal seal” because of its faulty design. Whereas the law

called for 13 arrows in the left talon, Throop gave his eagle only 6. It is

assumed that he didn’t work from the text of the resolution of 1782 but

rather from an impression made by the worn, original die, which would

have shown a bundle of arrows but perhaps not the precise number. This

also may account for the fact that he engraved five-pointed stars,2 instead

of the heraldic six-pointed stars of the original. However, these departures

from the official design didn’t affect the legality of the documents on which this seal was affixed. 

The Throop die is steel, 23

/8 inches in diameter,

about the same size as the original. In fact, it is

thought that the same press was used for both.

Great Seal of 1841, engraved in steel by John

Peter Van Ness Throop of Washington, DC. It

departed from 1782 design by showing only six

arrows in eagle’s claw and by giving stars five,

rather than six, points. It also added fruit to

olive branch.
1977

9

But the differences in style are marked: The border is without acanthus

leaves; the whole design has been crowded upward; the eagle is more vigorous and uncrested; two arcs, instead of a straight line, form the top of

the shield; and the olive branch bears fruit, i.e., four olives.

In early 1866, a crude counter-die of the die was cut for the first time

and put into use. It was a duplicate cut in relief, apparently in bronze. Its

purpose was to improve the impression from the die when a document

was pressed between them. However, the impressions grew less distinct,

and the die was retired after some 36 years of use.

2

This innovation has been carried from die to die through the one now in use.

1877

With the celebration of the Centennial in 1876, Americans were reminded

of their heritage, and interest was aroused in the origins and forms of the

Great Seal. An article appeared in the press about this time revealing that

there were “irregularities” in the 1841 die of the seal’s obverse and that the

reverse, although created by law in 1782, had never been cut.3 The

Department of State seemed unaware of any public criticism, and the irregularities in the obverse were not corrected when the Throop die began to

wear and a new die was cut during 1877. The engraver was Herman

Baumgarten of Washington, DC, who followed the design of the 1841 die

very closely, including the errors. The seal was the same size as its two

predecessors, but Baumgarten enlarged the stars and the lettering on the

motto. It is considered the poorest of all the Great Seal dies, and, ironically,

it was the one in use for the Great Seal’s own centennial in 1882.

3

Charles Thomson’s written description, as adopted by the Continental Congress, provided for

the reverse in case it was decided to impress the back of pendant seals. It was never intended that

it be used apart from the obverse. A design was drawn in 1786, another in 1856, but no die was

produced and pendant seals carried only the obverse of the seal.

1885

By early 1881, the Department of State

responded to comments from the public and

the press about the errors and omissions, and

bids were asked for engraving a reverse and a

1885

The Tiffany & Co. steel die of 1885

was in use for only 17 years before it

had to be replaced due to wear.
new obverse to correct them. The firm selected was Tiffany & Co. in New

York, and its head designer, James Horton Whitehouse, was asked to submit sketches. Whitehouse was a seal engraver, jewel cutter, and art designer

of exceptional skill, taste, and artistic judgment. A great deal of research

went into these two designs, going back to the original written description

adopted in 1782. The Tiffany die of the obverse differs radically from all

earlier dies. It is formal and heraldic, rather than realistic, and it served as

the pattern for the die in use today. Its 3-inch diameter makes it larger than

its predecessors, and the eagle once again carries 13 arrows. The olive

branch has 13 leaves and 13 olives on it, and for the first time, the cloud of

the crest is in the form of a complete circle.

But it is the eagle itself that has undergone the greatest change. Gone

are the thin-kneed eagles with L-shaped legs, replaced by a muscular and

unmistakably American bald eagle. More of the body appears above the

shield, and the engraving is so skillfully done that the break between the

white feathers of the head and neck and the dark feathers of the body is

visible in both the die and the impressions. In another departure, the

eagle grasps the olive branch and arrows in large, strong claws from

behind, not from the front, as previously drawn.

Although a die for the reverse was ordered from Tiffany & Co. and

funds were appropriated, the die was not cut. With the passing of pendant

seals in 1871, there was no practical use for it.

1904

After only 17 years of use, the steel Tiffany die of 1885 was no longer

producing a sharp impression, probably due to a worn counter-die.

Whatever the reason, the Department ordered a new die in 1902 and

funds were appropriated. Although there was some debate about changing

the design, the instructions that went to the Philadelphia firm of Bailey

Banks & Biddle were to “furnish a fac-simile” of the design of the Tiffany

die “not later than June 15, 1903.”4 The new die was engraved in hardened steel by Max Zeitler, and impressions from it are nearly identical to

the 1877 die. There are differences, however. Impressions from the Zeitler

die are sharper and clearer, particularly in the feathering

10

1904

Great Seal of 1904 by Bailey Banks &

Biddle in Philadelphia.The engraver, Max

Zeitler, was instructed to reproduce 1885

die as exactly as possible.
1977

Although drawings of the

obverse side of the Great Seal

were done immediately upon adoption of the design in 1782, the first

reverse was not drawn until 4 years

later. A Philadelphia engraver, James

Trenchard, working from the written

description, produced a full page

engraving of the reverse for the

October 1786 issue of Columbian

Magazine. He followed the law closely and produced an elongated, 13-step unfinished pyramid, with

the two mottos, the date in Roman numerals, and the Eye of

Providence in a blaze of glory.

The second drawing of the reverse was probably done by the

artist and historian, Benson J. Lossing, to accompany an article

he wrote on the Great Seal for the July 1856 issue of Harper’s

New Monthly Magazine. Lossing gave his rather square pyramid

a deep perspective and filled the ground around it with flowers

and grass. He also changed Trenchard’s right Eye of Providence

to a left eye, which it has been ever since. This drawing has influenced all later realizations of the written description of 1782, with

the exception of the Great Seal Centennial Medal struck in 1882.

The back of this medal, which followed closely Trenchard’s

design, was the first realization of the reverse to be issued officially by the U.S. Government.

The design for the reverse was made available by the

Continental Congress in case it was desired to impress the back

surfaces of wax pendant seals. The United States used pendant

seals for treaties from 1815 to 1871, but the backs were never

impressed. Enthusiasm for cutting a die of the reverse has diminished, and to this day one has not been cut. The current official

design of the reverse of the Great Seal follows almost exactly the

Lossing drawing, and can be seen on the $1 bill. 

Reverse side of the

Great Seal. Although

description was adopted

in 1782, no die has ever

been cut.

Designs of the Reverse

11
12

of the eagle and in the 19 clouds of the crest. The eagle’s feathers are more

pointed, and its talons have shorter joints. Zeitler also corrected two

heraldic errors which had been called to the Department’s attention. But

it takes close inspection to see any of these changes.

The Zeitler die of the Great Seal was first used on January 27, 1904, and

remained in use for 26 years. In 1986, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing

made a master die from which the present die and counter-die were produced. Future dies and counter-dies will be cut from this master die.

4

Actual delivery was delayed until January 1904, although the press is engraved “June 15, 1903.”

The die has been referred to as the die of 1903 because of this, but the 1904 date is more customary.

The Great Seal is used to seal documents 2,000-3,000 times a year.

Although custody of the first seal had been assigned to the Secretary

of the Continental Congress Charles Thomson in 1782, the 1789 government assigned it to the Secretary of State. Mr. Thomson hand-carried the

seal and press to President Washington; delivered his resignation with genuine regret; and surrendered the books, papers, and records of the late

Congress. Thomas Jefferson thus became the first of a long line of

Secretaries of State to have custody of the Great Seal.

The actual sealing is done by an officer from the Department’s

Presidential Appointments staff. At present it is impressed on the following types of documents, after they have been signed by the President and

countersigned by the Secretary of State:

• Instruments of ratification of treaties and other international agreements;

• Proclamations of treaties and other international instruments;

• Appointment commissions of ambassadors, Foreign Service officers,

Cabinet officers, and all other civil officers appointed by the President

whose commissions are not required by law to issue under another

seal; and 

• Assignment commissions for consular officers.

The seal also is affixed to the envelopes that contain letters accrediting

and recalling ambassadors and other ceremonial communications from the

President to heads of foreign governments.

The design of the obverse of the Great Seal, which is the coat of arms of

the United States, is used by the government in many ways. It appears in

some form on coins, postage stamps, stationery, publications, flags, military uniforms, public monuments, public buildings, passports, and other

Uses of the Seal and the Coat of Arms
items the U.S. Government has issued, owns, or uses. In full color it is

displayed above the doors to all U.S. embassies, consulates general, and

consulates throughout the world. It also may appear in black and white,

and it may be printed, engraved, embossed, shown in relief, etched,

carved, stamped, painted, lithographed, stitched, or reproduced by any

other process appropriate to the materials being used. One of the more

unusual uses of the coat of arms is in a stained glass window of the Prayer

Room at the U.S. Capitol.

We see the seal design almost every day, both the obverse and the littlenoticed reverse, as it passes through our hands on the $1 bill. In 1935, the

Department of the Treasury sent President Roosevelt a new design for the

bill, incorporating the obverse and reverse of the Great Seal. After approving it rather routinely, the President changed his mind, scratched out his

signature, and inked in several significant changes. He switched the

obverse and reverse and added “The Great Seal” under a rough outline of

the pyramid and “of the United States” under an even rougher sketch of

the eagle, and initialed the whole “FDR.” Upon receipt, Treasury’s Bureau

of Engraving and Printing duly noted “Received by the Engraving

Division June 26, 1935,” and revised the model.

Requests To Use the Great Seal and Coat of Arms

All of these uses of the Great Seal die and the design, or coat of arms, are

official. Often private, nonofficial requests to use one or the other come to

the Department of State. The Great Seal can be affixed only as provided by

13

Model of back of 1935 dollar bill submitted to President Franklin

Roosevelt for approval.The President changed his mind after approving

it, reversed placement of obverse and reverse and added legend “The

Great Seal of the United States” in two parts under his roughly

sketched pyramid and eagle.
law [P.L. 91-651, Title 18 USC], and impressions of the seal cannot be

made for display purposes or in response to requests for souvenirs or samples. This position has been applied not only to impressions made from the

present die but also to impressions from earlier dies still in existence.

As for the coat of arms, the Department has expressed concern in the

past over the increasing tendency to use it in commercial enterprises and

in ways that give the impression of U.S. Government sponsorship or

involvement. However, it is the Department’s current practice not to provide an opinion as to the suitability of proposed uses. The matter of legality is left to the Department of Justice. Title 18 of the U.S. Code, as

revised in January 1971, prohibits use of the likeness of the Great Seal or

any facsimile in “any advertisement, circular, book, pamphlet, or other

publication, play, motion picture, telecast, or other production” for the

purpose of conveying a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the

U.S. Government under threat of a fine of not more than $250 or imprisonment of not more than 6 months, or both.

Sealing of Documents

In the Department of State, the term

“Great Seal” has come to include not

just the die, but the counter-die, the

press, and the cover, or cabinet in

which it is housed, as well. These

stand in the Exhibit Hall of the

Department, inside a glass enclosure

which is kept locked at all times, even

during the sealing of a document.

The mahogany cabinet’s doors also

are kept locked, and the press is bolted and padlocked in position except

when in use. The seal can be affixed only by an officer of the Department of

State, under the authority of its custodian, the Secretary of State. When there

are documents ready for sealing, one of the officers carries them to the enclosure where the Great Seal is kept and prepares them for impressing. 

First, a 33

/4-inch, scalloped, blank paper wafer of off-white linen stock is

glued in the space provided for it to the left of the document’s dating

clause. If ribbons are used in binding the document, they are run under

the paper wafer and glued fast. Second, the document is inserted between

the counter-die, with the wafer carefully lined up between them. Third,

the document is held in place with the left hand and the weighted arm of

14

Great Seal Today
Obverse Side of the

Great Seal

The most prominent feature is the American bald

eagle supporting the

shield, or escutcheon,

which is composed of 13

red and white stripes,

representing the original

States, and a blue top

which unites the shield

and represents Congress.

The motto, E Pluribus

Unum (Out of many, one),

alludes to this union.The

olive branch and 13

arrows denote the power

of peace and war, which

is exclusively vested in

Congress.The constellation of stars denotes a

new State taking its place

and rank among other

sovereign powers.

Reverse Side of the

Great Seal

The pyramid signifies

strength and duration:

The eye over it and the

motto, Annuit Coeptis

(He [God] has favored our

undertakings), allude to

the many interventions of

Providence in favor of the

American cause.The date

underneath is that of the

Declaration of

Independence, and the

words under it, Novus

Ordo Seclorum (A new

order of the ages), signify

the beginning of the new

American era in 1776.

The Great Seal of the United States

15
the press is pulled sharply forward with the right hand, from right to left.

This drives the die down onto the wafer, document, and counter-die,

which impresses the seal in relief. The die is then raised, releasing the document and allowing for its removal. When an envelope containing letters

of credence or recall is to be sealed, the wafer is impressed first, and then

glued to the sealed envelope, leaving the envelope itself unmarked.

The Great Seal on Display

The Great Seal is no longer portable as it was in Charles Thomson’s day.

Although the seven Great Seals have had many homes and have been in

the custody of 58 Secretaries of State since Thomas Jefferson first took the

responsibility, only the 1904 seal seems to have found more or less permanent quarters.

In 1955, it was put on public display for the first time during a ceremony in the Department of State lobby opening an exhibit on the history of

the Great Seal, after which it was returned to the mezzanine where the

public could view it.

On September 16, 1957, the 175th anniversary of the earliest known use

of the seal, another public ceremony took place, and four documents were

sealed by the Acting Secretary of State before television and movie cameras.

It was not until March 1961 that the Great Seal was placed in what

everyone considered its first appropriate location—the Exhibit Hall of the

Department. This hall is on the first floor, centered between the north

and south open-air courts which lie straight ahead of the diplomatic

entrance at 2201 C Street NW. There the Great Seal, the press, and the

cabinet are on display today.

On June 15, 1982, Secretary of State Alexander Meigs Haig, Jr., hosted

a ceremony commemorating the 200th Anniversary of the Great Seal of

the United States—June 20, 1982. This also was the inaugural for the

new enclosure and exhibit in the Hall for the Great Seal.

16

“The Eagle and the Shield”

Ahistory of the Great Seal by historians Richard S. Patterson and

Richardson Dougall was released by the Department of State in

1978. Replacing the last standard official history done in 1909 by Gaillard

Hunt, the 637-page book contains a fascinating study of the seal and its

origins, as well as chapters on the seals of the President, Vice President,

and the Department of State; answers to frequently asked questions

about the seal; and more than 50 pages of illustrations. Copies of The

Eagle and the Shield are available at Federal Depository Libraries.