North Carolina State Seal

The Great Seal of North Carolina is a vital emblem used to authenticate specific documents issued by the state government, and it underwent modification in 1983. As dictated by an act passed by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1971 and amended in 1983, the seal's design features the figures of Liberty and Plenty facing each other. Liberty stands with a cap-adorned pole in one hand and a scroll inscribed with "Constitution" in the other, while Plenty sits with three heads of grain and a horn in her hands. The background depicts mountains and a three-masted ship on the ocean. The seal includes the date "May 20, 1775," as well as the words "esse quam videri" around the perimeter. The seal was officially adopted in 1971 after it was discovered that multiple versions were in use, and it was later amended in 1983 to incorporate the date of the Halifax Resolves, April 12, 1776, reflecting the state's historical significance. These two dates also appear on the North Carolina flag.