Flag and seal of Illinois

State of Illinois
UseCivil and state flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagSmall vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagReverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Proportion3:5
AdoptedSeptember 17, 1969; 55 years ago (1969-09-17)
DesignA state seal above the word Illinois in blue on a white field.
Designed bySharon Tyndale
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Great Seal of the State of Illinois
ArmigerState of Illinois
Adopted1868
Motto"State Sovereignty, National Union"
Illinois state historical coat of arms (illustrated, 1876)

The Great Seal of the State of Illinois is the official emblem of the U.S. state of Illinois, and signifies the official nature of a document produced by the state. The present seal was designed and proposed in 1868 and officially adopted in 1869. It depicts in profile a bald eagle perched on a rock with wings spread and holding a shield, with a banner in its beak and sunrise over water in the background. It replaced an earlier seal that was almost the same as the Great Seal of the United States, adopted when Illinois became a state in 1818.

The flag of the state of Illinois bearing the central elements of the seal on a white field was adopted in 1915, and the word Illinois was added to the flag in 1970. In a 2001 survey by the North American Vexillological Association, the flag of Illinois was ranked 49th out of 72 different flags of states and territories, mainly in the US and Canada. For flags, easily recognizable, simpler, bold-shape designs did better in the survey than flags that copied the jurisdiction's seal.[1]

  1. ^ "The Great NAVA Flag Survey of 2001" (PDF). North American Vexillological Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 19, 2022.