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

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:

thumb|200px|center|The state seal on a plaque at the [[Guilford Courthouse National Military Park.]]

History

Colonial seals

<gallery class="center" widths=150 heights=150>

File:CarolinaSeal.jpg|Seal of the Province of Carolina

File:Seal of the Government of Albemarle.jpg|Seal of the Government of Albemarle

</gallery>

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.

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.

thumb|right|200px|North Carolina state [[Historical coats of arms of the U.S. states|historical coat of arms (illustrated, 1876)]]

thumb|right|150px|Seal of North Carolina depicted on the reverse of Series 1882BB National Bank Notes

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.

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. These two dates are also on the flag of North Carolina.

Many historical depictions of the seal feature a brick wall behind one of the women, though this detail is not described by law.

<gallery class="center" widths=150 heights=150>

File:North Carolina (NYPL b12392791-420289).tif|Depiction of the seal from 1800

File:AmCyc North Carolina - seal.jpg|Depiction of the seal from 1879

File:Seal of North Carolina smoking tobacco - Marburg Brothers (advertisement printed in reverse) LCCN2006677679.jpg|Seal of North Carolina depicted on a tobacco trading card, 1879

File:The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina.jpg|Depiction of the seal from 1918

File:Seal of North Carolina (1971-1984).svg|The seal after the 1971 standardization

File:Seal of North Carolina.svg|The current seal after 1983

</gallery>

Government seals of North Carolina

<gallery class="left" widths=123 heights=123>

File:Seal of the Governor of North Carolina.svg|Seal of the Governor of North Carolina

File:Seal of the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives.png|Seal of the Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives

File:NCNGLogo2022-FiveColor01.png|Seal of the North Carolina National Guard

File:Seal of the North Carolina Board of Education.gif|Seal of the North Carolina Board of Education

File:Seal of the North Carolina Department of Correction.svg|Seal of the North Carolina Department of Correction

File:Seal of the North Carolina Department of Transportation.svg|Seal of the North Carolina Department of Transportation

File:NC Register, Volume 1, Issue 1 - Seal of Office of Administrative Hearings.png|Seal of the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings

</gallery>

See also

  • Flag of North Carolina
  • List of North Carolina state symbols

References

Further reading

==External links ==<!--WP:EL, WP:SPAM-->