Confederate States of America seal

Electrotype of the seal of the Confederate States of America, dated 22 February 1862. This became the official seal for the Confederate government after the design was adopted in April 1863. It was made by the London engraver, Joseph S. Wyon.

The seal shows the image of George Washington at the time of the War of Independence. It was based on the statue of Washington that stands in Richmond, Virginia, home of the Confederacy’s capital for the majority of the Civil War. The seal also contains another reference to Washington: the date, 22 February, was the President’s birthday and on that day in 1862, Confederate President Jefferson Davis was officially inaugurated, hence the commemoration date displayed this object.

The seal thus highlights the connections Confederate leaders made between their secession cause and the Revolution, arguing that they were the true inheritors of the spirit of 1776. ‘Deo vindice’ at the base of the seal was the Confederate motto, loosely translated as ‘God is our vindicator’.

• Origins of the seal and the electrotype copies produced (British Library Americas Studies blog post)
• Further images of the seal (British Library Digitised Manuscripts collection)