Alabama State Seal

In 1939, at the request of Governor Frank M. Dixon, Alabama adopted a new circular state seal during a special session. This seal features the word "Alabama" near the edge, opposite the words "Great Seal." In the center, it depicts a map of the state with its principal rivers. Although the law specifies the seal's basic elements, it does not detail the design of the letterforms, the use of stars in the border, labeling of adjacent states and the Gulf of Mexico, or the application of colors, leaving these aspects open to interpretation and artistic representation.