Seal, United States Supreme Court

UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT SEAL - Created by three committees over a period of six years, from 1776 to 1782, it is almost identical to the Great Seal of the United States.

• The single star that appears beneath the eagle is the only difference between the U. S. Supreme Court Seal and the Great Seal of the United States.  The star represents the "One Supreme Court" established by the U. S. Constitution.
• The eagle has been a symbol of power and victory since ancient times.  As such, it became an emblem of Imperial Rome and later of the Roman Empire.  The third committee to work on the seal was responsible for introducing the eagle to the design.  However, their original concept showed a small white eagle atop a pillar.  In 1782, Secretary of Congress Charles Thompson enlarged the eagle and made it the central element of the design.  He also replaced the small eagle with the American bald eagle, thus maintaining the symbolic meaning of the bird while claiming a new, distinct authority for the new republic.
• The shield carried by the eagle follows the tradition of the coat of arms.  In this case, the shield borrows its symbolism from the American flag. Thirteen alternating red and white stripes represent the original colonies, with white standing for purity and red for valor.  The band, called a "chief," at the top of the shield represents the unity of the states.  The color blue represents perseverance, vigilance and justice.
• The motto appearing on the scroll held in the eagle's beak, "E Pluribus Unum," was part of the very first design for the seal, proposed in 1776 by a committee composed of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and consultant Pierre Eugene du Simitiere.  Translated, the Latin phrase means "Out of many, One" a reference to the union of the states.
• The constellation of thirteen stars emerging from clouds was recommended by the second committee to work on the seal in 1780.  This element represents the emergence of the United States as a self-governing body taking its place among other sovereign nations.
• In its right talon, the eagle holds an olive branch.  In its left talon, the eagle clenches a bundle of thirteen arrows.  These symbols were intended to represent "the power of peace and war" invested in Congress.  Peace seems to be the favored option, as the eagle turns in the direction of the olive branch.