To celebrate the 225th anniversary of the creation of the Great Seal of the United States, the United States Diplomacy Center created a traveling exhibition to tell the story of the Seal, entitled Celebrating the 225th Anniversary of the Great Seal of the United States: Past, Present and Future, and the enclosure around the Seal was refurbished to explain its history and symbols. To mark the exhibtion, Secretary Rice spoke at a ceremony held in the Exhibit Hall where the Great Seal is housed.  As the Secretary explained, "Our forbearers commissioned the design of the Great Seal to represent the existence of the United States to other nations [and] unlike other countries that change seals with rulers and regimes...the U.S. has retained the very same seal for 225 years, a testimony to the enduring values inscribed inside that first seal."  And indeed, the die of the Great Seal of the United States is a small engraved metal plate, but it represents the sovereignty of our entire nation. With its eagle, shield, olive branch, and arrows, the Seal captures the unity, strength, and independence our Founding Fathers sought for the new republic.  The Department of State has had the privilege and honor of caring for this national treasure since 1789.

Allen Weinstein, the Archivist of the National Archives and Records Administration, also spoke at the ceremony, noting that "Today, the Great Seal is a symbol of our democracy. its guiding principles are a model for other nations to follow in their quest for freedom from tyranny in a world that values human rights and liberty."

Besides presenting its history and current use, the exhibition also incorporates children’s artistic interpretations of the Seal to represent the future. This exhibit invites visitors to explore the fascinating story of a national treasure, the Great Seal of the United States.

The Great Seal exhibit shows how the U.S. Great Seal links to an ancient legacy, as old as civilization itself, dating from Mesopotamia through the Middle Ages to today. A consular seal press, used in embassies and consulates, reinforces the idea of the Seal’s importance for validation and authentication.

The buzzword in museums today is “interactive,” and the Seal exhibit is no exception, with three hands-on stations. Sliding panels reveal the meanings associated with the symbols on the Seal. A replica pendant seal encourages visitors to touch its surface. A matching game of sliding disks on a grid links our Seal to its ancient roots.

The ultimate interactive, however, is reserved for Sharon Hardy, Chief of the Office of Presidential Appointments, Bureau of Human Resources, and her staff. They are authorized to imprint Seals with the press and protect the die for the Secretary of State, its official custodian. Each year, Sharon and her staff imprint seals for between 2,000-3,000 documents, including presidential commissions, diplomatic envelopes, and treaties.

Link to photo gallery of the celebration event.

The traveling exhibition was in the Department of State until early May 2008.  It is currently at the George C. Marshall Foundation, at Lexington, VA.  The exhibit will be on display at the Marshall Museum until September 3, 2008.  Click here for more information on the exhibit at the Marshall Museum.

To visit the permanent exhibit in Washington, call (202) 736-9040 to arrange an appointment during business hours. Check back here for details on future venues. 

Web versions of the traveling exhibition are available in             8.5" x 11" or full sized.

Remarks by Secretary Rice [view video]

Remarks by Archivist Allen Weinstein

Press Release

Brochure about the Great Seal

18 page booklet about the Great Seal 

 Web version of the traveling Exhibition