Synthesis of Seals used after Independence
Six seals have been used since independence.
Section seventeen of the new constitution adopted at Halifax in December 1776 following independence stated “That there shall be a Seal of this State, which shall be kept by the Governor, and used by him as occasion may require; and shall be called the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina, and be affixed to all grants and commissions.” Several days after the new constitution was adopted the Provincial Congress at Halifax appointed three men as commissioners to procure a seal for the state. But there is no evidence to show that those men ever procured a seal for the state. The governor was then allowed to use his “private seal at arms” until a seal for the state could be procured. In April 1778 a bill for procurement of Great Seal was introduced into the lower house of the General Assembly and it became law on May 2nd. The law stated that William Tisdale, Esq., be appointed to cut and engrave a seal for the state. In November of 1779 Tisdale was granted one hundred and fifty pounds to make the seal. There is no official description of this seal that was used until 1794. This was the last seal to be made with two sides.
In January 1972 an act was passed that authorized and required the governor to procure for the state a new seal that was to be one sided. Governor Martin commissioned Colonel Abisha Thomas, who was in Philadelphia as an agent of the state to settle its revolutionary war claims against the federal government, to have one made and then sent him a design. The design that was first sent to Colonel Thomas was discarded after Dr. Hugh Williamson and Sen. Samuel Johnston made suggestions and a new one was sent. Gov. Spaight finally accepted the new sketch after some modification and it was made accordingly. No official description of this seal can be found but if one could be it would probably be similar to this one. The seal has on it two figures Liberty and Plenty. Liberty is seated on a pedestal with her pole in her right hand, and her cap on the pole; in her right hand is a scroll with the word constitution on it. Plenty is standing to the front left of Liberty; around her is a circlet of flowers; her cornucopia is in her right hand leaning against her shoulder and in her left hand is an ear of corn. The words “The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina” is found around the circumference of the seal. This seal was used until 1835 when an act to procure a new seal was passed. (North carolina office of archives and history, 2008)
The new seal that was procured by the act was very similar to the seal that preceded it. Both Liberty and Plenty are depicted on the new seal like on the previous one but on this seal Liberty is standing and plenty is sitting. Other differences between the seals are that liberty’s pole with her cap on it and the scroll is in opposite hands on the newer seal. On the newer seal plenty is sitting with her right arm half extended toward Liberty and it contains three grains of wheat. Her left hand contains the small end of her horn the other end is resting at her feet with its contents rolling out. A ship can also be seen in the background if the seal is looked at closely. Like the previous seal the words “The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina” are found around the circumference of the seal. The governor was authorized to procure a replacement seal and required to do so whenever the old one was lost or so worn or defaced that it was unfit for use by the legislature in 1868. This seal was used until 1893. (Grimes, 1957)
Col. Samuel McDowell Tate introduced a bill that did not provide for a new seal to be procured, but described in detail what the seal should look like. In 1893, Jacob Battle introduced a bill that added at the foot of the coat of arms the motto and provided that the date May 20, 1775 be inscribed at the top of the coat of arms. The ship that had appeared in some of the early seals had disappeared by the early twentieth century leaving the mountains as the only backdrop on the seal. This seal was used until 1971.
The General Assembly of 1971 passed an act amending the General Statutes provisions relative to the state seal in an effort to provide a standard for the seal. The act stated, “ The Governor shall procure for 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 otherwise disposed as follows: Liberty, the first figure, standing, her pole with 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 towards 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 the mountains running from left to right to the middle of the seal and an ocean running from right to left 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 seal and the words “esse quam videri” shall appear at the bottom around the perimeter. The words “ the Great Seal of the state of North Carolina” shall appear around the perimeter...” ("North carolina state," 2011) The deceased Jullian R. Allsbrook, who served on the Senate, felt that the date of the adoption of the Halifax Resolves should be on the seal because it was already on the state flag. The legislation that added the date to the flag was ratified on May 2nd, 1983, with the effective date being January 1, 1984. The seal of 1984 is still used today. (Grimes, 1957)
Section seventeen of the new constitution adopted at Halifax in December 1776 following independence stated “That there shall be a Seal of this State, which shall be kept by the Governor, and used by him as occasion may require; and shall be called the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina, and be affixed to all grants and commissions.” Several days after the new constitution was adopted the Provincial Congress at Halifax appointed three men as commissioners to procure a seal for the state. But there is no evidence to show that those men ever procured a seal for the state. The governor was then allowed to use his “private seal at arms” until a seal for the state could be procured. In April 1778 a bill for procurement of Great Seal was introduced into the lower house of the General Assembly and it became law on May 2nd. The law stated that William Tisdale, Esq., be appointed to cut and engrave a seal for the state. In November of 1779 Tisdale was granted one hundred and fifty pounds to make the seal. There is no official description of this seal that was used until 1794. This was the last seal to be made with two sides.
In January 1972 an act was passed that authorized and required the governor to procure for the state a new seal that was to be one sided. Governor Martin commissioned Colonel Abisha Thomas, who was in Philadelphia as an agent of the state to settle its revolutionary war claims against the federal government, to have one made and then sent him a design. The design that was first sent to Colonel Thomas was discarded after Dr. Hugh Williamson and Sen. Samuel Johnston made suggestions and a new one was sent. Gov. Spaight finally accepted the new sketch after some modification and it was made accordingly. No official description of this seal can be found but if one could be it would probably be similar to this one. The seal has on it two figures Liberty and Plenty. Liberty is seated on a pedestal with her pole in her right hand, and her cap on the pole; in her right hand is a scroll with the word constitution on it. Plenty is standing to the front left of Liberty; around her is a circlet of flowers; her cornucopia is in her right hand leaning against her shoulder and in her left hand is an ear of corn. The words “The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina” is found around the circumference of the seal. This seal was used until 1835 when an act to procure a new seal was passed. (North carolina office of archives and history, 2008)
The new seal that was procured by the act was very similar to the seal that preceded it. Both Liberty and Plenty are depicted on the new seal like on the previous one but on this seal Liberty is standing and plenty is sitting. Other differences between the seals are that liberty’s pole with her cap on it and the scroll is in opposite hands on the newer seal. On the newer seal plenty is sitting with her right arm half extended toward Liberty and it contains three grains of wheat. Her left hand contains the small end of her horn the other end is resting at her feet with its contents rolling out. A ship can also be seen in the background if the seal is looked at closely. Like the previous seal the words “The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina” are found around the circumference of the seal. The governor was authorized to procure a replacement seal and required to do so whenever the old one was lost or so worn or defaced that it was unfit for use by the legislature in 1868. This seal was used until 1893. (Grimes, 1957)
Col. Samuel McDowell Tate introduced a bill that did not provide for a new seal to be procured, but described in detail what the seal should look like. In 1893, Jacob Battle introduced a bill that added at the foot of the coat of arms the motto and provided that the date May 20, 1775 be inscribed at the top of the coat of arms. The ship that had appeared in some of the early seals had disappeared by the early twentieth century leaving the mountains as the only backdrop on the seal. This seal was used until 1971.
The General Assembly of 1971 passed an act amending the General Statutes provisions relative to the state seal in an effort to provide a standard for the seal. The act stated, “ The Governor shall procure for 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 otherwise disposed as follows: Liberty, the first figure, standing, her pole with 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 towards 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 the mountains running from left to right to the middle of the seal and an ocean running from right to left 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 seal and the words “esse quam videri” shall appear at the bottom around the perimeter. The words “ the Great Seal of the state of North Carolina” shall appear around the perimeter...” ("North carolina state," 2011) The deceased Jullian R. Allsbrook, who served on the Senate, felt that the date of the adoption of the Halifax Resolves should be on the seal because it was already on the state flag. The legislation that added the date to the flag was ratified on May 2nd, 1983, with the effective date being January 1, 1984. The seal of 1984 is still used today. (Grimes, 1957)
All photos on this page came from the book The Old North State Fact Book
Citation for the book:
North carolina office of archives and history. (2008). the old north state fact book. Raleigh:
Citation for the book:
North carolina office of archives and history. (2008). the old north state fact book. Raleigh: