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The title page to State Arms of the Union, a book illustrated by Henry Mitchell and published by Louis Prang that shows historically accurate renderings of coats of arms of the U.S. states from 1876. Designs of state coats of arms or seals have generally been authorized by a provision in the state constitution or a legislative act. An impression of the Great Seal of a state (or its coat of arms) has long been required on official documents, as this is the emblem that certifies the authenticity of a given document or that the authority of the state is invested in said document.Illustration: Henry Mitchell; restoration: Andrew Shiva