The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina was standardized in design by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1871.
The date of May 20, 1775, refers to the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, allegedly the first declaration of independence
adopted during the American Revolution. In 1983, state Senator Julian R. Allsbrook proposed a revision to the seal to add to the
seal the date April 12, 1776, the date of the Halifax Resolves; this revision was approved by the state legislature. These two
dates are also on the flag of North Carolina.
The motto "Esse Quam Videri" means "To Be Rather Than To Seem."
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