Great Seal of the State of Colorado

Design and principal elements

The seal features the words identifying the jurisdiction and the year of statehood. It also incorporates a motto in Latin and a set of heraldic or symbolic elements that represent Colorado's government and natural wealth. The most commonly noted textual elements are:

• State inscription: the legend indicating the "State of Colorado" surrounds or appears on the device.
• Year: the figures "1876," marking Colorado's admission to the Union, are shown on the seal.
• Motto: the state motto "Nil Sine Numine" (commonly translated as "Nothing without Providence") is associated with the seal and appears on many official renderings.

Historical development

The seal used by the State of Colorado is essentially an adaptation of the Territorial Seal. The main formal changes in converting the territorial design to a state device were the substitution of the words "State of Colorado" for the earlier territorial wording and the inscription of the date "1876." The Colorado General Assembly approved the state seal on March 15, 1877, making the adapted design the legal emblem for state business.

Uses and legal status

The Great Seal is applied to official commissions, proclamations, and other documents to signify formal state action. By statute and longstanding practice, the Secretary of State is the officer authorized to affix the Great Seal of Colorado. Agencies and subordinate bodies may use impressions, reproductions, or department seals for routine purposes, but only the Secretary of State may place the official Great Seal on documents requiring the highest form of authentication.

Notable distinctions and facts

The state seal differs from agency or departmental seals and from artistic renderings that appear on flags, letterheads or souvenirs. Its chief legal purpose is documentary authentication rather than decorative display. The date 1876 and the motto remain the most recognizable features that connect the seal to Colorado's entry into the Union and to the ideals represented in its motto.

The Great Seal stands as both a legal instrument and a symbol of Colorado's history and authority, linking the present-day state government to its territorial origins and to the moment of statehood during the United States' centennial year.