The Great Seal of the United States is the federal government’s official emblem, adopted by the Continental Congress on June 20, 1782, and used today to authenticate treaties, presidential proclamations, and other formal documents. It has two sides. The obverse shows a bald eagle holding an olive branch and arrows; the reverse shows an unfinished pyramid beneath the Eye of Providence. Both appear on the one-dollar bill, but only the obverse exists as a physical die that presses a raised impression into paper. The Secretary of State keeps custody of that die, and federal law makes it a crime to display the seal in ways that falsely suggest government endorsement.
What the Eagle Side Means
The obverse is the side almost everyone recognizes. A bald eagle holds an olive branch in one talon and thirteen arrows in the other, standing for the nation’s capacity for both peace and war. A shield of thirteen red and white stripes sits on the eagle’s breast, and a blue band across the top of the shield represents Congress unifying the states. A scroll in the eagle’s beak carries the Latin motto E Pluribus Unum, “Out of Many, One.” Above the eagle’s head, a constellation of thirteen stars marks a new nation taking its place among the world’s sovereign powers.1National Museum of American Diplomacy. The Great Seal
The number thirteen runs through every element: thirteen stars, thirteen stripes, thirteen arrows, thirteen olives and leaves, and thirteen letters in E Pluribus Unum.2Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government. Great Seal of the United States 1782 Each instance points back to the original colonies and the union they formed.
What the Pyramid Side Means
The reverse shows an unfinished pyramid of thirteen courses of stone, with the Roman numerals MDCCLXXVI (1776) at the base.2Ben’s Guide to the U.S. Government. Great Seal of the United States 1782 The pyramid stands for strength and durability, and its incomplete state signals a nation still being built. Above it, the Eye of Providence sits inside a glowing triangle, suggesting divine favor over the American project. Two Latin mottoes frame the image: Annuit Coeptis (“He Has Favored Our Undertakings”) above the pyramid, and Novus Ordo Seclorum (“A New Order of the Ages”) below.
One detail surprises most people. No physical die has ever been cut for the reverse. Congress adopted the design in 1782 in case it was needed for wax pendant seals on treaties, but nothing was ever impressed from it. The reverse exists only as a printed image.3U.S. Department of State. The Great Seal of the United States
The Seal on the One-Dollar Bill
Both sides have appeared on the one-dollar bill since 1935. The idea came from Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace, who noticed that the reverse had never been used on anything official. He brought a reproduction to President Franklin Roosevelt, who directed that the pyramid side be placed on the left and the eagle side on the right so that the words “of the United States” would appear beneath the obverse. New silver certificates began printing in the summer of 1935.
Roosevelt was reportedly drawn to the Eye of Providence, a symbol with Masonic associations, and to Novus Ordo Seclorum, which Wallace had interpreted as “the New Deal of the Ages.”
Who Controls the Seal and What It’s Used For
Federal law gives the seal real legal weight. Under 4 U.S.C. § 41, the seal originally adopted by the Continental Congress is declared to be the seal of the United States.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 41 – Seal of the United States Section 42 places the seal in the custody of the Secretary of State and provides that it cannot be affixed to any document without a special warrant from the President.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 42 – Same; Custody and Use Of The Secretary of State has held that role since an act of Congress on September 15, 1789, and day-to-day questions are handled by the Office of Presidential Appointments within the State Department.6U.S. Department of State. 2 FAM 150 – Seals, Coat of Arms, and Flags
Executive Order 10347 partially streamlined the warrant requirement. The Secretary of State can affix the seal without a separate presidential warrant on several recurring categories of documents, so long as the President has already signed them:
- Presidential proclamations, including those announcing treaties, conventions, and other international agreements
- Treaty instruments, such as ratification documents, full powers to negotiate, and exchanges of ratifications
- Extradition warrants for fugitives from U.S. justice
- Letters of credence, letters of recall, and similar diplomatic correspondence to heads of foreign governments
- Exequaturs recognizing foreign consular officers whose commissions bear their head of state’s signature
For any document outside those classes, a specific presidential warrant is still required before the seal can be applied.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 4 USC 42 – Same; Custody and Use Of
How the Impression Is Made
The physical device consists of a die, counter-die, press, and protective cabinet, housed at the State Department headquarters in Washington, D.C. The current die and counter-die were produced in 1986 by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.3U.S. Department of State. The Great Seal of the United States
Applying the seal is more hands-on than most people expect. An operator positions the document in a heavy metal press and places a thin adhesive paper wafer where the impression will appear. The die and counter-die press together through the wafer, creating a raised, three-dimensional image of the obverse.7Britannica. Great Seal of the United States – Design, History, Use The embossing makes the impression very hard to forge or alter. The operator then inspects the wafer to confirm the image is centered and legible before the document moves on.
When You Can and Can’t Use the Image
Federal law makes it a crime to display the Great Seal in a way that falsely implies government sponsorship or approval. Under 18 U.S.C. § 713, anyone who knowingly uses a likeness of the seal in advertisements, publications, broadcasts, buildings, or other productions to create that false impression faces a fine, up to six months in prison, or both. The same statute protects the seals of the President, Vice President, Senate, House of Representatives, and Congress. The Attorney General can also go to court to stop ongoing violations, acting on a complaint from an authorized representative of a federal department or agency.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 713 – Use of Likenesses of the Great Seal of the United States
The State Department does not grant or deny permission to reproduce the seal. Whether a particular use violates § 713 is a question for the Department of Justice.9U.S. Department of State. Copyright Information As a matter of policy, the State Department discourages non-governmental and non-educational uses and does not provide artwork for private purposes.
In practice, reproductions in textbooks, documentaries, and news coverage rarely raise a problem. The legal line is not about the image itself but about the impression it creates. Putting the seal on a product, letterhead, or website in a way that makes it look like the federal government stands behind the venture is where liability starts.