Since
colonial times, nine different seals have been used for certifying official
state documents. The Great Seal of North Carolina now in use was ratified
May 2, 1983. The seal depicts the figures of Liberty, representing freedom,
and Plenty, representing the bounty of our state. In the background are
mountains and a side view of a three-masted ship on the ocean. The two
dates on the seal and on the state flag mark the signing of two documents
calling for independence from Great Britain. May 20, 1775, is the date
of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, and April 12, 1776, marks
the adoption of the Halifax Resolves.
The state motto "Esse Quam Videri" is Latin for "to be rather than to seem."
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