Seal of Maryland

Last updated

Great Seal of the State of Maryland
Seal of Maryland (reverse).svg
The reverse of the seal of Maryland
Versions
Seal of Maryland (obverse).svg
The obverse of the seal of Maryland
Coat of arms of Maryland.svg
The coat of arms of Maryland
Armiger State of Maryland
Adopted1969;55 years ago (1969)
UseTo represent the government of the State of Maryland in official contexts and to authenticate certain official documents

The Great Seal of the State of Maryland is the official government emblem of the U.S. state of Maryland. Its official service is to authenticate acts by the General Assembly of Maryland (state legislature), but it is also used for display purposes at most state buildings. Although the state seal has been changed in design several times throughout history, the current model represents the reverse side of the original seal.

Contents

The seal consists of two sides, a reverse and an obverse. In official contexts, only the reverse side is used.

History

The first seal was stolen in 1645 by Richard Ingle during a rebellion, but a similar one was sent as a replacement by Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore (1605-1675). This seal was used except for a period from 1692–1715 until a new one was adopted in 1794. That seal used republican imagery, such as a woman holding scales of justice on the obverse and on the reverse the motto "Industry the Means, Plenty the Result". [1]

In 1817 and 1854, symbols of the eagle were used along with a version of the original reverse on the 1854 version. The original Calvert seal was brought back into use in 1874, and has had various corrections made to its image and meaning in 1959 and 1969.

Obverse side

Maryland has the distinction of having a dual-sided seal, rare among U.S. states and the world. The obverse side of the state seal, which was described by statute in 1959 (Chapter 396, Acts of 1959), shows Lord Baltimore as a knight in full armor mounted on a charger with a drawn sword in hand. The caparisons of the horse on which Lord Baltimore is mounted bear his family coat of arms. The inscription on the rim of the seal shows the phrase, Cecilius Absolutus Dominus Terræ Mariæ et Avaloniæ Baro de Baltimore, which translates to "Cecil, Absolute Lord of Maryland and Avalon, Baron of Baltimore" (Chapter 79, Acts of 1969; Sections 13-101 through 13-105 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland).

Reverse side

The reverse of the seal shows the Calvert arms, described as follows:

Quarterly first and fourth, a paly of six Or and Sable, a bend counterchanged; quarterly second and third, quarterly Argent and Gules a cross bottony counterchanged. Above the shield an earl's coronet surmounted by a barred helm affronté Argent.

The supporters are a plowman (dexter) and a fisherman (sinister), the former holding a spade and the latter a fish; the mantling of ermine (reverse Gules) is entire and surrounds the whole composition. The crest is a crown with two pennants, the dexter Or and the sinister Sable. [2]

The state motto, Fatti maschii, parole femine (pronounced [ˈfattiˈmaskipaˈrɔːleˈfeːmine] ), has its origin in the archaic Italian. [N 1] It literally translates as "Deeds are males, words are females", [3] but Maryland's official translation has variously been "Deeds are manly, words are womanly" and "Manly deeds, womanly words." [4] The current official translation, "Strong deeds, gentle words," was established during the 2017 legislative session. [5] Maryland is the only state with a motto in Italian. The saying is the motto of the Calvert family (the Barons Baltimore), who first founded the Colony of Maryland. George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore (1579–1632), made it his family's motto in 1622 and it appears that the saying was well known in 17th-century England.

The Latin text encircling the seal, Scuto bonæ voluntatis tuæ coronasti nos, is from verse 12 of Psalm 5 from the Vulgate; it translates to "With favor Wilt Thou Compass Us as with a Shield" [6] The founding date of 1632 completes the circle.

Though the reverse side has been the only part of the seal to be cut and is the part that is primarily used on official government documents, the obverse side can be found displayed around the state, especially on state government buildings, including the Maryland State House in Annapolis.

See also

Notes

  1. The modern spelling of the original version would be "Fatti maschi, parole femmine".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Seal of the United States</span> National seal of the United States

The Great Seal is a national symbol of the United States. The phrase is used both for the impression device itself, which is kept by the United States secretary of state, and more generally for the impression it produces. The obverse of the Great Seal depicts the national coat of arms of the United States while the reverse features a truncated pyramid topped by an Eye of Providence. The year of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, 1776, is noted in Roman numerals at the base of the pyramid. The seal contains three Latin phrases: E Pluribus Unum, Annuit cœptis, and Novus ordo seclorum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore</span> English peer (1605–1675)

Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore was an English politician, peer and lawyer who was the first proprietor of Maryland. Born in Kent in 1605, he inherited the proprietorship after the death of his father, George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore, for whom it had been intended. Calvert proceeded to establish and manage the Province of Maryland as a proprietary colony for English Catholics from his English country house of Kiplin Hall in North Yorkshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of the Philippines</span> National coat of arms of the Philippines

The coat of arms of the Philippines features the eight-rayed sun of the Philippines with each ray representing the eight provinces which were placed under martial law by Governor-General Ramón Blanco Sr. during the Philippine Revolution, and the three five-pointed stars representing the three major island groups of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

<i>E pluribus unum</i> Traditional motto of the United States

E pluribus unum – Latin for "Out of many, one" – is a traditional motto of the United States, appearing on the Great Seal along with Annuit cœptis and Novus ordo seclorum which appear on the reverse of the Great Seal; its inclusion on the seal was suggested by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere and approved in an act of the Congress of the Confederation in 1782. The first word of E pluribus unum is actually an abbreviation of the Latin preposition ex, meaning "out of." While its status as national motto was for many years unofficial, E pluribus unum was still considered the de facto motto of the United States from its early history. Eventually, the U.S. Congress passed an act in 1956, adopting "In God We Trust" as the official motto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Maryland</span> Flag of the U.S. state of Maryland

The flag of the state of Maryland is the 17th-century heraldic banner of arms of Cecil, 2nd Baron Baltimore. It consists of the arms of his father George, 1st Baron Baltimore (1579–1632), quartered with those of his grandmother, heiress of the Crossland family. The flag was officially adopted by the General Assembly of Maryland in 1904.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of West Virginia</span> Official flag of the U.S. state of West Virginia

The flag of West Virginia is the official flag of the U.S. State of West Virginia and was officially adopted by the West Virginia Legislature on March 7, 1929. The present flag consists of a pure white field bordered by a blue stripe with the coat of arms of West Virginia in the center, wreathed by Rhododendron maximum and topped by an unfurled red ribbon reading, "State of West Virginia." It is the only state flag to bear crossing rifles, meant to illustrate the importance of the state's fight for liberty during the Civil War as the southern unionist 35th state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Toronto</span> Official coat of arms of the City of Toronto

The coat of arms of Toronto is a heraldic symbol used to represent the city Toronto. Designed by Robert Watt, the Chief Herald of Canada at the time, for the City of Toronto after its amalgamation in 1998. The arms were granted by the Canadian Heraldic Authority on 11 January 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seal of Georgia</span> Official government emblem of the U.S. state of Georgia

The Great Seal of the State of Georgia is a device that has historically been used to authenticate government documents executed by the state of Georgia. The first great seal of the state was specified in the State Constitution of 1777, and its current form was adopted in 1799 with alterations in 1914. Its specifications are currently spelled out by statute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seal of Hawaii</span> Official government emblem of the U.S. state of Hawaii

The Great Seal of the State of Hawaii was designated officially by Act 272 of the 1959 Territorial Legislature and is based on the territorial seal. Modifications to the territorial seal included the use of the words "State of Hawaii" at the top and "1959" within the circle. Provisions for a seal for the state of Hawaii were enacted by the Territorial Legislature and approved by Governor William F. Quinn on June 8, 1959. The passage of the Admission Act in 1959, admitted Hawaii as the 50th State of the United States of America on August 21, 1959.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag and seal of Virginia</span> Official government flag and emblem of the U.S. state of Virginia

The Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia is the official seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a U.S. state. The state flag of Virginia consists of the obverse of the seal against a blue background. A state flag was first adopted at the beginning of the American Civil War in April 1861, readopted in 1912, and standardized by the General Assembly in February 1950. The standing allegorical female figure of virtue is shown having vanquished tyranny, symbolized by a fallen king at her feet. She has an exposed breast in the manner of classical depictions of Amazons, making this the only state flag in the U.S. depicting a form of nudity. The motto Sic semper tyrannis means "Thus always to tyrants." The flag may be decorated with a white fringe along the fly edge; this is usually done when the flag is displayed indoors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seal of Texas</span> Official government emblem of the U.S. state of Texas

The Seal of the State of Texas was adopted through the 1845 Texas Constitution, and was based on the seal of the Republic of Texas, which dates from January 25, 1839.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seal of West Virginia</span> Official government emblem of the U.S. state of West Virginia

The Great Seal of the State of West Virginia was adopted in September 1863. The obverse center of the seal contains a boulder that has been inscribed June 20, 1863, the date West Virginia became a state. In front of the boulder lie two crossed rifles and a liberty cap as a symbol of the state's fight for liberty. The two men on either side of the boulder represent agriculture and industry. On the left stands a farmer with an ax and plow before a cornstalk. On the other side stands a miner with a pickaxe, and behind him an anvil and sledge hammer. The outer ring contains the text "State of West Virginia" and the state's motto "Montani Semper Liberi",. The reverse of the seal, also called the lesser seal, is the official seal of the governor. Its motto reads "Libertas E Fidelitate".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Badge of Wales</span> Badge of Wales

A Royal Badge for Wales was approved in May 2008. It is based on the arms borne by the thirteenth-century Welsh prince Llywelyn the Great, with the addition of St Edward's Crown atop a continuous scroll which, together with a wreath consisting of the plant emblems of the four countries of the United Kingdom, surrounds the shield. The motto which appears on the scroll, PLEIDIOL WYF I'M GWLAD, is taken from the National Anthem of Wales and is also found on the Welsh designs for £1 coins minted from 1985 until 2000. The badge formerly appeared on the covers of Assembly Measures; since the 2011 referendum, it now appears on the cover of Acts passed by the Senedd and its escutcheon, ribbon and motto are depicted on the Welsh Seal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Alabama</span> Coat of arms of the State of Alabama

The coat of arms of Alabama depicts a shield upon which is carried the symbols of the five states which have at various times held sovereignty over a part or the whole of what is now Alabama. These are the ancient coat of arms of France, the ancient coat of arms of Crown of Castile for Spain, the modern Union Jack of the United Kingdom and the battle flag of the Confederate States. On an escutcheon of pretence is borne the shield of the United States. The crest of the coat represents a ship which brought the French colonists who established the first permanent European settlements in the territory. Below is the state motto: Audemus jura nostra defendere, meaning "We dare defend our rights."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coat of arms of Paraguay</span> National coat of arms of the Republic of Paraguay

The national coat of arms or national seal of Paraguay or has the following construction:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seal of Baltimore</span>

The Seal of Baltimore is the official government emblem of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The current City Seal was adopted for use in 1827, possibly inspired by a famous speech and toast made by sixth President John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) / [served 1825-1829], on a visit and tour in 1827, in which he dubbed the city with its most well-known nickname of "The Monumental City", with the recent erection of several monuments, including this for the War of 1812 and the new Washington Monument column, nearing completion in a wooded park, just north of the booming city. The seal is in the shape of an ellipse with the image of the Battle Monument featured in its center The iconic monument, designed by Frenchman J. Maximilian Godefroy, (1765-c.1838), erected 1815–1822, in the former colonial era Courthouse Square for the casualties suffered during the recent War of 1812 when the British invasion with a land/sea attack in September 1814, in the Battle of Baltimore, with the land conflict southeast of the city on the Patapsco Neck peninsula with several thousands of the King's Army at the Battle of North Point and the subsequent Royal Navy fleet blockade and bombardment of Fort McHenry, south of the town, protecting the entrance to the Patapsco River of Baltimore harbor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of Baltimore</span> Flag of the city of Baltimore, Maryland, US

The flag of the city of Baltimore features the "Battle Monument", which is also the central motif on the city's seal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland Army National Guard</span> American military unit, founded 1634

The Maryland Army National Guard is the United States Army component of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is headquartered at the old Fifth Regiment Armory at the intersection of North Howard Street, 29th Division Street, near Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard in Baltimore and has additional units assigned and quartered at several regional armories, bases/camps and other facilities across the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland Tercentenary half dollar</span> US commemorative fifty-cent piece (1934)

The Maryland Tercentenary half dollar was a commemorative fifty-cent piece issued by the United States Bureau of the Mint in 1934. It depicts Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore on the obverse and the Coat of Arms of Maryland on the reverse.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seal of Somerset County, Maryland</span>

The Great Seal of Somerset County, Maryland, is the official county seal of Somerset County, Maryland, United States. The seal was created in 1666 but fell out of use in 1707 before being restored in 1957.

References

  1. State of Maryland (June 17, 2004). "Maryland Seal of 1794". Maryland at a Glance. State of Maryland. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  2. "Article - State Government §13–102" (PDF). Code of Maryland. General Assembly of Maryland. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
  3. "fatti maschii, parole femine". Merriam-Webster . Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
  4. Wiggins, Ovetta (January 1, 2016). "How a 'sexist' quote from 16th-century pope became Maryland's state motto". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  5. "Great Seal". Maryland General Assembly. Archived from the original on August 5, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  6. State of Maryland (April 21, 2005). "Great Seal of Maryland (reverse)". Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2013.