Seal of West Virginia

Great Seal of the State of West Virginia
Versions
Reverse
Historical coat of arms (illustrated, 1876)
ArmigerState of West Virginia
Adopted1863
MottoMontani Semper Liberi
Libertas E Fidelitate

The Great Seal of the State of West Virginia was adopted in September 1863.[1] The obverse center of the seal contains a boulder that has been inscribed June 20, 1863, the date West Virginia became a state. In front of the boulder lie two crossed rifles and a liberty cap as a symbol of the state's fight for liberty. The two men on either side of the boulder represent agriculture and industry. On the left stands a farmer with an ax and plow before a cornstalk. On the other side stands a miner with a pickaxe, and behind him an anvil and sledge hammer. The outer ring contains the text "State of West Virginia" and the state's motto "Montani Semper Liberi", ("Mountaineers are Always Free"; the state nickname is "the Mountain State"). The reverse of the seal, also called the lesser seal, is the official seal of the governor. Its motto reads "Libertas E Fidelitate" ("Liberty out of Fidelity").[2]

  1. ^ "West Virginia Statistical Information" (PDF). State of West Virginia. Retrieved 2014-06-20.
  2. ^ "West Virginia State Seal". www.sos.wv.gov. Archived from the original on 2009-10-01.