The Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the state seal for the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Maryland to its south, West ...

. According to the state's website, the seal was authorized by the

Pennsylvania General Assembly The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times (1682–1776), the legislature was known as the Pennsylvani ...

in 1791, and is "a symbol of authenticity which verifies that proclamations, commissions and other papers of state are legal and official." Unlike most state seals, it has an obverse and a reverse. The Secretary of the Commonwealth is the keeper of the Great Seal, and has the duty of authenticating government documents, and proclaiming new law as enacted through its use.

Description

The obverse of the seal has a central image of a shield containing a ship under full sail, a plow, and three sheaves of wheat.Pennsylvania Emblems at a Glance
" in "Kids." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: PA.Gov (website of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania), retrieved online February 15, 2019. These symbols represent the importance of commerce, labor, perseverance, and agriculture to the state's economy, as well as several of its geographic components (

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

represented by the ship, for example). On either side of the shield are a stalk of Indian corn and an olive branch, representing the state's recognition of its past and hopes for the future. Atop the shield an eagle proudly symbolizes the state's sovereignty. The outer ring of the seal bears the words "Seal of the State of Pennsylvania," despite the state's official designation as the

. The reverse side, or counterseal, pictures Lady Liberty dominating Tyranny in the form of a lion, along with the warning across the top, "Both Can't Survive."

Seals of the government of Pennsylvania

There are several seals of the

government of Pennsylvania The Government of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is the governmental structure of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as established by the Pennsylvania Constitution. It is composed of three branches: Executive (government), executive, Legislatur ...

, which use a variety of designs, including the coat of arms of Pennsylvania, the state seal, and other distinct elements. File:Seal of the Governor of Pennsylvania.svg,

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, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

of the

governor of Pennsylvania The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

File:Seal of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.svg, Seal of the secretary of the commonwealth File:Seal of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania.svg, Seal of the

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

of Pennsylvania File:Seal of the Auditor General of Pennsylvania.svg, Seal of the

auditor general An auditor general, also known in some countries as a comptroller general or comptroller and auditor general, is a senior civil servant charged with improving government accountability by auditing and reporting on the government's operations. Freq ...

of Pennsylvania File:Seal of the Inspector General of Pennsylvania.svg, Seal of the inspector general of Pennsylvania File:Seal of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.svg, Seal of the

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is the highest court in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Judiciary of Pennsylvania, Unified Judicial System. It began in 1684 as the Provincial Court, and casual references to it as ...

File:Seal of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania.svg, Seal of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania File:Seal of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.svg, Seal of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

of Pennsylvania File:Seal of the Senate of Pennsylvania.svg, Seal of the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

of Pennsylvania File:Seal of the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline.svg, Seal of the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline File:Seal of the Department of Corrections of Pennsylvania.svg, Seal of the

Pennsylvania Department of Corrections The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PADOC) is the Pennsylvania state agency that is responsible for the confinement, care, and rehabilitation of approximately 37,000 inmates at state correctional facilities funded by the Commonwealth of ...

File:Seal of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.svg, Seal of the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare

References

External links

History of the Seal of the State of Pennsylvania (Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seal Of Pennsylvania Symbols of Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

Description

Seals of the government of Pennsylvania

See also

References

External links