The Great Seal of Arkansas is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the Government of
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
. The phrase is used both for the physical
seal
Seal may refer to any of the following:
Common uses
* Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly:
** Earless seal, or "true seal"
** Fur seal
* Seal (emblem), a device to imp ...
itself, which is kept by the
Governor of Arkansas, and more generally for the design impressed upon it. The Great Seal was modified to its present form on May 23, 1907.
Design
Title 1 of the Arkansas Code specifies that the seal “shall present the following impressions, devices and emblems, to wit: An eagle at the bottom, holding a scroll in its beak, inscribed ‘Regnat populus,’ a bundle of arrows in one claw and an olive branch in the other; a shield covering the breast of the eagle, engraved with a steamboat at top, a beehive and plow in the middle, and sheaf of wheat at the bottom; the
Goddess of Liberty at the top, holding a wreath in her right hand, a pole in the left hand, surmounted by a
liberty cap, and surrounded by a circle of stars outside of which is a circle of rays; the figure of an angel on the left, inscribed ‘Mercy,’ and a sword on the right hand, inscribed ‘Justice,’ surrounded with the words ‘Seal of the State of Arkansas.’ ”
History
The present seal was approved by an
act of the
State legislature on May 23, 1907. This act amended the act of May 3, 1864, by correcting the wording of the motto from ''Regnant populi'' to ''Regnat populus''.
Seals of Arkansas
The seal of the region changed over time.
Image:Arkansas Territorial Seal 1835 drawing.png, before 1836
Image:Arkansas Seal 1861 drawing.png, from 1836
Image:AmCyc Arkansas - seal.jpg, from 1864
Image:Seal of Arkansas.svg, after 1907
See also
*
Flag of Arkansas
The flag of Arkansas, also known as the Arkansas flag, consists of a red field Charge (heraldry), charged with a large blue-bordered white Lozenge (heraldry), lozenge (or diamond). Twenty-nine Pentagram, five-pointed stars appear on the flag: t ...
*
Symbols of the State of Arkansas
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arkansas, Great Seal Of
1864 establishments in Arkansas
Angels in art
Arkansas statutes
Birds in art
Symbols of Arkansas
Symbols introduced in 1864
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the O ...
Cultural history of Arkansas