Great Seal of the Confederate States of America
| Seal of the Confederate States | |
|---|---|
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| Details | |
| Armiger | Confederate States of America |
| Adopted | 1863 |
| Motto | Latin: Deo vindice |
| Use | on the national currency in 1864 |
The Great Seal of the Confederate States of America, formally the Seal of the Confederate States, was used to authenticate certain documents issued by the C.S. government. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself (which was kept by the C.S. Secretary of State), and more generally for the design impressed upon it. On May 20, 1863, Secretary of State Judah Benjamin instructed James Mason to arrange for its manufacture in London. It was first used publicly in 1864.
The seal prominently features George Washington on horseback, in the same position as the 1858 Virginia Washington Monument, located adjacent to the Confederate Capitol in Richmond, Virginia. Washington is pictured in his uniform of the Revolution securing American independence.
Washington's first equestrian statue was by Henry Kirke Brown, erected in New York City in 1856. It has since been moved to Union Square in the center of the park. There, the tri-corner hat is held in his left hand rather than atop his head, as depicted in the equestrian statue at the Virginia Capitol, in Richmond. The Union Square statue is duplicated at the Washington Monument at West Point, a bronze statue cast by Clarence P. Towne, dedicated in 1916. Washington was a model for the Confederacy due to his importance in founding a new nation. He was a paragon of personal character, a military leader who secured independence, and a new nation's political leader.
Washington is surrounded with a wreath, which is made of some of the main agricultural products of the Confederacy: wheat, corn, tobacco, cotton, rice and sugar cane. The top margin of the seal features the words "The Confederate States of America: 22 February 1862". This date on the seal commemorates the establishment of the Confederate government in Richmond, Virginia with the inauguration of Jefferson Davis after the only Confederate general election, and is also Washington's birthday.
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