The Pennsylvania state seal, used to ensure authenticity, features a shield with symbols including a ship, plow, and olive branches on the front, and a symbolic representation of freedom over tyranny on the reverse. The artwork is intricate, and the seal is often confused with the coat of arms.
The Pennsylvania state seal is the symbol that is printed on all official documents as a means of ensuring authenticity. The coat of arms of William Penn and his family was used for this purpose when Pennsylvania was still an English colony. When the colony became a state, part of the official proceedings involved creating an official seal denoting independence, and by 1778 a symbol similar to the current version was in use. The front face of the seal, which is the most used, features a shield with symbols including a ship, plow, and olive branches along with the words “Pennsylvania State Seal.” On the reverse is a symbolic representation of the triumph of freedom over tyranny.
Like many states whose history began as English colonies, Pennsylvania’s first official documents before it achieved independence were stamped with the personal seals of William Penn, the owner of the colony. The seal that was created as part of the state is similar to the one that is used today. A device called a press-seal is used to stamp official government documents with the emblem, which is a mark indicating authenticity and originality. The Pennsylvania state seal is sometimes confused with the coat of arms, which was also created in the 1770s and appears on the Commonwealth flag.
The artwork on the Pennsylvania state seal is intricate and detailed. The front, or recto, features an eagle as a crest. There is also a shield with three symbols in it: a ship above, a plow in the middle and stalks of wheat below. During the colonial period, these three symbols were the coats of arms of Sussex, Philadelphia and Chester Dounties and were mounted above William Penn’s seals on relevant documents. The shield is surrounded by an olive branch on one side and a corn stalk on the other. The words “Seal of the State of Pennsylvania” are written around the outside.
The reverse, or reverse, of the Pennsylvania state seal shows a lion lying on the ground and a woman standing above it with a sword. The lion is a symbol of tyranny. The woman represents freedom and she also holds a cap and a wand which the French use to denote this concept. The words “Both Can’t Survive” are engraved on the outside of this image to suggest the triumph of freedom and justice.
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