Seal of North Carolina
| The Great Seal of North Carolina | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Versions | |
.svg) Variant seal of North Carolina | |
| Armiger | State of North Carolina |
| Adopted | 1794 (standardized on April 8, 1971) (modifications made in 1983) |
| Motto | Latin: Esse quam videri, lit. 'To be rather than to seem' |
The Great Seal of North Carolina is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the government of North Carolina. The seal depicts two women, one representing liberty, and the other representing prosperity. The Great Seal was adopted in 1794, standardized in 1971, and later modified to its present form in 1983.
Design
[edit]According to an act passed by the North Carolina General Assembly on April 8, 1971, and amended in 1983, the state seal is defined by law as:[1][2]
The Governor shall procure of the state a seal, which shall be called the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina, and shall be two and one-quarter inches in diameter, and its design shall be a representation of the figures of Liberty and Plenty, looking toward each other, but not more than half-fronting each other and other-wise disposed as follows: Liberty, the first figure, standing, her pole with a cap on it in her left hand and a scroll with the word "Constitution" inscribed thereon in her right hand. Plenty, the second figure, sitting down, her right arm half extended toward Liberty, three heads of grain in her right hand, and in her left, the small end of her horn, the mouth of which is resting at her feet, and the contents of the horn rolling out.
The background on the seal shall contain a depiction of mountains running from the left to the right to the middle of the seal. A side view of a three-masted ship shall be located on the ocean and to the right of Plenty. The date "May 20, 1775" shall appear within the seal and across the top of the seal and the words "esse quam videri" shall appear at the bottom around the perimeter. No other words, figures or other embellishments shall appear on the seal
History
[edit]Colonial seals
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Seal of the Province of Carolina -
Seal of the Government of Albemarle
When the Province of Carolina was established as a British colony in 1663, it adopted a two-sided seal. The obverse side of the seal depicts a crest with two crossed cornucopias on a shield flanked by two Indians with a deer atop a knight's helmet above the shield. The reverse side depicts the cross of England surrounded by the arms of each lord proprietor of Carolina.[3][4]
When the Government of Albemarle was organized within the colony in 1665, it adopted the reverse side of the colony's seal as its official seal. The Government of Albemarle only made one change to the seal; it added the name ALBEMARLE around the edge of the seal.[3][5]
When the Province of Carolina separated into two different colonies, the new North Carolina Colony was without a seal. On February 3, 1730, the Board of Trade recommended to the King of Great Britain that he order for the creation of a seal for the North Carolina Colony. Later that same month, the King of Great Britain would approve of a seal design. The obverse side of the seal depicts the coastline of North Carolina. To the left is King George II on his throne with two women facing him. The first woman, representing liberty, is holding a stick with a Phrygian cap. The second woman, representing prosperity, is holding a cornucopia. To the right is a ship sailing towards the coastline.[3] The bottom of the seal has the phrase "QUÆ SERA TAMEN RESPEXIT", meaning "which though late, looked upon me". The reverse side of the seal depicts the Coat of arms of the United Kingdom.[6]
In 1767, the seal of the North Carolina Colony was updated. King George II was changed to be King George III, the woman representing liberty was moved to be behind the king, and the woman with the cornucopia was changed to be in the kneeling position. The reverse side of the seal was updated to reflect the new King of Great Britain.[3]
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Seal of the Colony of North Carolina (1730–1767, obverse) -
Seal of the Colony of North Carolina (1730–1767, reverse) -
Seal of the Colony of North Carolina (obverse) -
Seal of the Colony of North Carolina (reverse)
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Statehood seals
[edit]-
Seal of North Carolina (1779–1794, obverse) -
Seal of North Carolina (1779–1794, reverse)
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The first seal of the U.S. state of North Carolina was adopted in 1779. Prior to its adoption, William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, and Thomas Burke were assigned to commission a seal. In 1778, William Tisdale, a silversmith, began work on the seal. The governor of North Carolina used a private seal until the official state seal was finished. The obverse side of the seal depicts a woman wearing a Roman helmet holding a stick with a Phrygian cap. In her other hand is a paper that has CONSTITUTION inscribed on it. Below the woman is the phrase "IN LEGIBUS SALUS", meaning "in laws there is safety". The reverse side of the seal depicts a woman herding a cattle. Below the woman is inscribed "INDEPENDENCE MDCCLXXVI".[3][5][4]
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The current seal of North Carolina was adopted in 1794. The creation of this seal was authorized by the North Carolina General Assembly in January, 1792.[3][4]
In 1971, the state seal was officially standardized after the state's chief deputy attorney general discovered that there was more than one version of the seal in use.[7]
In 1983, state senator Julian R. Allsbrook proposed adding the date April 12, 1776 onto the seal, the date of the Halifax Resolves. This proposal was approved by the state legislature and is the current version of the seal.[8] These two dates are also on the flag of North Carolina.[9][10]
Many historical depictions of the seal feature a brick wall behind one of the women, though this detail is not described by law.
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Depiction of the seal from 1800 -
Depiction of the seal from 1879 -
Seal of North Carolina depicted on a tobacco trading card, 1879 -
Depiction of the seal from 1918 -
The seal after the 1971 standardization -
The current seal after 1983
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Government seals of North Carolina
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Seal of the Governor of North Carolina -
Seal of the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives -
Seal of the North Carolina National Guard -
Seal of the North Carolina Board of Education -
Seal of the North Carolina Department of Correction -
Seal of the North Carolina Department of Transportation -
Seal of the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Connor, R.D. W. (1921). North Carolina Manual, 1921.
- ^ Eure, Thad, ed. (1967). North Carolina Manual, 1967. p. 37.
- ^ a b c d e f "Carolina". Hubert Herald. February 22, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ a b c "Ch 1 Symbols" (PDF). North Carolina Secretary of State. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ a b "North Carolina's state seal: A journey through history and symbolism". WRAL News. December 12, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ "Classical Origins of the State's Motto". North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. February 21, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
- ^ "One Man's Tale of The Great Seal of North Carolina". biandgrain.com. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- ^ "North Carolina Bar Examines Halifax Resolves". Roanoke Rapids Daily Herald.
- ^ Williams, Wiley J. (2006). "State Seal". NCPedia. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
- ^ Thompson, Jessica Lee. "The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina". NorthCarolinaHistory.org. Retrieved December 27, 2019.
Further reading
[edit]- Grimes, Bryan (revised by D.L. Corbitt) (1966). The History of the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina. State Department of Archives and History.
- Lewis, J.D. "North Carolina State Seal History". carolana.com.
- "Seals used after independence". Retrieved December 27, 2019.
- The old north state fact book. Raleigh: North Carolina office of archives and history. 2008.
External links
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Media related to State seals of North Carolina at Wikimedia Commons
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