Seals of the United States

Seals of the United States
Name	National and official seals of the United States
Caption	Obverse of the Great Seal of the United States
Established	1782
Jurisdiction	Federal government of the United States

Seals of the United States are official emblems used by national, federal, state, and territorial authorities for authentication, identity, and ceremonial purposes. They include the Great Seal of the United States, departmental seals of executive agencies such as the Department of State and the Department of Defense, and the seals of all fifty states plus territories like Puerto Rico and Guam. Seals appear on documents of the United States Congress, instruments issued by the President of the United States, and artifacts held by institutions such as the National Archives and Records Administration.

Overview

Official seals serve as legal insignia for authoritative acts by offices including the President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, and the Supreme Court of the United States. The Great Seal of the United States functions as the primary national emblem, while executive departments including the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior maintain distinct seals. Legislative bodies such as the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives use seals for certificates, publications, and credentials; judicial entities including the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia use judicial seals. Military organizations such as the United States Army, United States Navy, United States Air Force, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard also maintain seals and emblems related to service branches and combatant commands like United States Central Command.

Federal Seals and Emblems

Federal seals include the emblematic Great Seal (obverse and reverse), the Presidential Seal, the Vice Presidential Seal, and seals for federal agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor adopt seals for statistical and regulatory instruments; regulatory bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Federal Reserve System use seals on monetary and supervisory documentation. Independent agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and Federal Communications Commission employ seals for rulemaking and enforcement notices. Congressional offices such as the Architect of the Capitol and the Congressional Budget Office maintain distinct devices, while the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institution use institutional seals on publications and artifacts.

State and Territorial Seals

Each state maintains a unique seal reflecting local history and symbols—examples include the seals of California, New York, Texas, Virginia, and Massachusetts. Territorial seals include those of American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. State seals often appear alongside state flags in capitol rotundas such as the New Mexico State Capitol or the Wisconsin State Capitol, and they are used by elected officials like state governors and secretaries of state including offices in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, and North Carolina. Historical motifs draw on events such as the American Revolutionary War, references to figures like Christopher Columbus in some territories, and imagery from economic mainstays including California Gold Rush scenes and New England maritime commerce.

Historical Seals and Evolution

Early American seals derived from colonial seals used by entities such as the Province of Massachusetts Bay and the Colony of Virginia. The design of the Great Seal of the United States was finalized in 1782 following committees and individuals like John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson consulting with artists and heralds; later iterations involved engravers such as Charles Thomson and adaptations published during the War of 1812. Over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, seals evolved in response to institutions created by acts such as the Judiciary Act of 1789 and the Homestead Act, and new seals were authorized by legislation for agencies established by the New Deal and wartime agencies during World War II. Colonial seals for places like Pennsylvania Colony and New Netherland informed state iconography; nineteenth-century printers and die-sinkers such as those working in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. standardized production. Changes in symbolism reflect constitutional developments like amendments, and landmark events such as the Louisiana Purchase and the Civil War shaped emblems adopted by states and federal departments.

Design, Symbolism, and Legal Use

Design elements commonly include heraldic motifs such as the eagle from European heraldry, escutcheons, mottos like those on the Great Seal of the United States and state mottos in Latin, and iconography referencing commerce, agriculture, and industry—examples appear in the seals of Iowa, Kentucky, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Arizona. Legal use of seals is defined in statutes and executive orders referencing the Seal of the United States Department of State and the Department of Defense Seal. Courts such as the Supreme Court of the United States and administrative boards enforce restrictions against unauthorized use, with enforcement agencies including the United States Postal Service and the Department of Justice pursuing counterfeit or fraudulent representations. Artistic contributors include engravers, sculptors, and designers who worked for institutions like the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and private artists commissioned by state legislatures and governors such as those in Alabama or Louisiana.

Production, Authentication, and Security Features

Production of seals historically used wax matrixes, embossed dies, and engraved metal plates produced by firms in Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. Modern production employs digital artwork, embossed seals applied by secretary of state offices, and security features overseen by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Government Publishing Office. Authentication methods include archival provenance managed by the National Archives and Records Administration, certification by secretaries of state in California and Texas, and tamper-evident techniques used by financial authorities like the Federal Reserve System and the United States Mint. Anti-forgery measures reference practices adopted by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and procedural controls used by the Office of the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives and the Office of the Secretary of the Senate to verify credentials, commissions, and international treaties executed under seals by the United States Ambassador to the United Nations and the Secretary of State.

Category:Symbols of the United States