“Paleways of thirteen pieces…” – One Dollar Note

Today, the reverse of the One Dollar Note remembers the approval of the Continental Congress for the obverse and reverse of the Great Seal of the United States 234 years ago.

From the History of the Seal of the United States by Gaillard Hunt for the Department of State, published in 1909:

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THE ARMS ADOPTED

On June 20, 1782, the seal was finally decided upon.

On report of the secretary, to whom were referred the several reports on the device for a great seal, to take order:

The device for an armorial achievement and reverse of the great seal for the United States in Congress assembled, is as follows:

ARMS. Paleways of thirteen pieces, argent and gules; a chief, azure; the escutcheon on the breast of the American eagle displayed proper, holding in his dexter talon an olive branch, and in his sinister a bundle of thirteen arrows, all proper, and in his beak a scroll, inscribed with this motto, “E pluribus Unum.”

For the CREST. Over the head of the eagle, which appears above the escutcheon, a glory, or, breaking through a cloud, proper, and surrounding thirteen stars, forming a constellation, argent, on an azure field.

REVERSE. A pyramid unfinished. In the zenith, an eye in a triangle, surrounded with a glory proper.

Over the eye these words, “Annuit Cœptis.”

On the base of the pyramid the numerical letters MDCCLXXVI.

And underneath the following motto, “Novus Ordo Seclorum.”

REMARKS AND EXPLANATION

The Escutcheon is composed of the chief & pale, the two most honorable ordinaries.

The pieces, paly, represent the Several States all joined in one solid compact entire, supporting a Chief, which unites the whole & represents Congress.

The Motto alludes to this union.

The pales in the arms are kept closely united by the chief and the chief depends on that Union & the strength resulting from it for its support, to denote the Confederacy of the United States of America & the preservation of their Union through Congress.

The colours of the pales are those used in the flag of the United States of America; White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & valour, and Blue, the colour of the Chief signifies vigilance perseverance & justice.

The Olive branch and arrows denote the power of peace & war which is exclusively vested in Congress.

The Constellation denotes a new State taking its place and rank among other sovereign powers.

The Escutcheon is born on the breast of an American Eagle without any other supporters, to denote that the United States of America ought to rely on their own Virtue.

Reverse. The pyramid signifies Strength and Duration: The Eye over it & the Motto allude to the many signal interpositions of providence in favour of the American cause.

The date underneath is that of the Declaration of Independence and the words under it signify the beginning of the new American Æra, which commences from that date.

This entire report is in Thomson’s handwriting and is endorsed by him: “Device for a Great Seal for the United States in Congress Assembled Passed June 20, 1782.”

In the journals of Congress the “Remarks and explanation” are left out, but they constitute an essential part of the fundamental law as Congress adopted it.

The different features of the seal had all been in common use in America. In the North Carolina paper currency of 1775 appears a bundle of thirteen arrows; in the Maryland currency of the same year a hand grasping an olive branch with thirteen leaves; on a fifty-dollar bill issued in 1778 is an unfinished pyramid, with the motto ” Perennis;” in the Massachusetts copper penny of 1776 are thirteen stars, surrounding an eagle; the flag had the thirteen stripes, and so had the seal of the Board of Admiralty, adopted May 4, 1780.

Soon after the seal was adopted the obverse was cut in brass; but the identity of the engraver is unknown.

It was intended to be impressed in wax over a paper wafer, and is found on a commission dated September 16, 1782, granting full power and authority to General Washington to arrange with the British for exchange of prisoners of war.

The commission is signed by John Hanson, President of Congress, and countersigned by Charles Thomson, Secretary, the seal being affixed in the upper left-hand corner, instead of the lower left-hand corner as is now the custom.

This, the first great seal to be made, continued in use for fifty-nine years, and having been cut almost as soon as the design was adopted may fairly be assumed to represent correctly the intentions of the makers of the seal.

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The One Dollar Note shows with an artist’s portrayal of the 1782 Great Seal’s obverse and another artist’s image of the reverse of the device, circa 1786.

One Dollar Note