View source for Seal of Ohio

{{short description|none}}
{{Infobox coat of arms
|image            = Seal of Ohio (B&W).svg
|image_width      = 150
|middle           = 
|middle_width     = 
|middle_caption   = 
|image2           = Seal of Ohio.svg
|image2_width     = 150
|image2_caption   = An imitation of the Artist's Version<ref>[http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/ProfileOhio/SymbolsofOhio/seal.aspx The State Seal of Ohio]</ref>
|armiger          = State of Ohio
|year_adopted     = 1996 (current form)
|other_elements   = 
|earlier_versions = Many, starting 1803
|use              = State government offices and [[letterhead]]s, [[Driver's license in the United States|driver's license]]s
}}

The '''Great Seal of the State of Ohio''' is the official insignia of the [[U.S. state]] of [[Ohio]]. All governmental offices, agencies, and courts in Ohio use variations of the state seal. Its primary feature is a circular coat of arms that depicts a sunrise in [[Chillicothe, Ohio|Chillicothe]], Ohio's first capital, along with symbols of the state's origins. The seal sometimes appears with the state motto, "With God, All Things Are Possible".

Shortly after its establishment in 1803, the state adopted a seal based on a sketch by [[Ohio Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[William Creighton, Jr.]] Except for a brief period during the 1860s, the layout and details were left largely unregulated until a standardized [[coat of arms]], based on the original design, was introduced in 1967. The coat of arms was modified most recently in 1996.

Each of Ohio's 88 counties maintains its own official seal based on the state seal.

==Design==
{{Infobox coat of arms
|name             = Coat of arms of the State of Ohio 
|image            = Coat of arms of Ohio.svg
|image_width      = 150
|middle           = 
|middle_width     = 
|middle_caption   = 
|lesser           = 
|lesser_width     = 
|lesser_caption   = 
|image2           = 
|image2_width     = 
|image2_caption   = 
|image3           = 
|image3_width     = 
|image3_caption   = 
|armiger          = State of Ohio
|year_adopted     = 1953<ref name="Profile Ohio">{{cite web|title=Ohio|work=State of Ohio|publisher=gwav.tripod.com|access-date=2011-09-21|url=http://gwav.tripod.com/ohio.htm}}</ref> (current form in 1996)
|crest            = 
|torse            = 
|shield           = 
|supporters       = 
|compartment      = 
|motto            = 
|orders           = 
|other_elements   = 
|earlier_versions = 
|use              = State and local government offices, older [[Vehicle registration plates of Ohio|license plate]]s
}}

The design of the Great Seal of the State of Ohio is defined in [[Ohio Revised Code]] section 5.10:

{{quote|The great seal of the state shall be two and one-half inches in diameter and shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle having a diameter of one and three-fourths inches, surrounded by the words "THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF OHIO" in [[News Gothic|news gothic]] capitals.|{{ORC||5|10}}}}

The coat of arms is defined in section 5.04:

{{quote|The coat of arms of the state shall consist of the following device: a circular shield; in the right foreground of the shield a full [[grain sheaf|sheaf]] of [[wheat]] bound and standing erect; in the left foreground, a cluster of seventeen [[arrow]]s bound in the center and resembling in form the sheaf of wheat; in the background, a representation of [[Mount Logan (Ohio)|Mount Logan]], [[Ross County, Ohio|Ross county]], as viewed from [[Adena Mansion|Adena state memorial]]; over the mount, a rising sun three-quarters exposed and radiating thirteen rays to represent the thirteen original colonies shining over the first state in the [[Northwest Territory|northwest territory]], the exterior extremities of which rays form a semicircle; and uniting the background and foreground, a representation of the [[Scioto River|Scioto river]] and cultivated fields.

The coat of arms of the state shall correspond substantially with the following design:

[...]

When the coat of arms of the state is reproduced in color, the colors used shall be substantially the same as the natural color of the terrain and objects shown.|{{ORC||5|04}}}}

The hills shown in the seal are managed by the [[Ohio Department of Natural Resources|Department of Natural Resources]] as [[Great Seal State Park]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Great Seal State Park|publisher=Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks and Recreation|access-date=July 31, 2014|url=http://parks.ohiodnr.gov/greatseal#history}}</ref>  Ohio was the 17th state admitted to the United States of America, and that is reflected symbolically by the 17 arrows in the foreground of the seal.

==History==
Ohio's state seal has been redesigned at least ten times in the state's history.<ref name="Statehouse rotunda">{{cite web|url=http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/pages/capitol_square/rotunda.cfm?submenu=statehouse|title=Rotunda|work=The Ohio Statehouse|publisher=Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board|date=2005-12-20|access-date=2007-08-04 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929041947/http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/pages/capitol_square/rotunda.cfm?submenu=statehouse <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2007-09-29}}</ref> From 1805 to 1866, the seal's design was left unspecified, a situation unique among the states.<ref name="Sloane" />

===Territorial seal===
[[File:Seal of the Northwest Territory.png|thumb|Seal of the Territory of the United States [[Northwest Territory|Northwest]] of the [[River Ohio]]<br>Motto: {{lang|la|Meliorem lapsa locavit}} ("He has planted one better than the one fallen")]]

Before Ohio's statehood, the territorial government of the [[Northwest Territory]] had its own seal. The [[United States Congress]] passed legislation on May 8, 1792, that directed the [[United States Secretary of State|U.S. Secretary of State]] to "provide proper seals for the several and respective public offices in the [Northwest] Territories". A seal was created by the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] to be used on official papers of the territory. The original seal was maintained by Governor [[Arthur St. Clair]]. Its first recorded use was in a proclamation made on July 26, 1788.<ref name="Bennett">{{cite web|first1=Pamela J.|last1=Bennett|first2=Alan|last2=January|title=Indiana's State Seal—An Overview|publisher=[[Indiana State Library and Historical Bureau|Indiana Historical Bureau]]|date=January 21, 2005|access-date=2008-05-31|url=http://www.in.gov/history/2804.htm}}</ref> The seal bears a Latin inscription, {{lang|la|Meliorem lapsa locavit}}, "He has planted one better than the one fallen," commemorating the decline of wilderness to make way for civilization.<ref name="Reinke">{{cite journal|first=Edgar C.|last=Reinke|title=Meliorem Lapsa Locavit: An Intriguing Puzzle Solved|journal=[[Ohio History (journal)|Ohio History]]|volume=94|page=74|url=http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohstemplate.cfm?action=detail&Page=009474.html&StartPage=68&EndPage=74&volume=94&newtitle=Volume%2094%20Page%2068}}{{dead link|date=May 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} says the young tree on the seal is an apple tree, while {{cite book|title=History of Marietta|last=Summers|first=Thomas J.|year=1903|page=[https://archive.org/details/historymarietta00summgoog/page/n143 115]|publisher=Leader Publishing|location=Marietta, Ohio|url=https://archive.org/details/historymarietta00summgoog}} says it is a buckeye and perhaps the genesis of Ohio's nickname.</ref>

===Rising sun===
The first [[Constitution of Ohio]], adopted on November 29, 1802, and effective March 1, 1803, provided for a state seal but left the details unspecified:<ref name="Sloane">{{cite conference|first=Rush R.|last=Sloane|title=The Organization and Admission of Ohio into the Union and the Great Seal of the State|book-title=Ohio Centennial Anniversary Celebration at Chillicothe, May 20–21, 1903, under the auspices of the Ohio State Archælogical and Historical Society: complete proceedings|conference=Ohio Centennial Anniversary Celebration|location=[[Chillicothe, Ohio]]|publisher=[[Ohio History Connection|Ohio State Archæological and Historical Society]]|year=1903|via=[[Internet Archive]]|pages=90–119|oclc=855752|lccn=04018527|url=https://archive.org/details/ohiocentennialan00ohiorich}}</ref>

{{quote|There shall be a seal of this State, which shall be kept by the Governor and used by him officially, and shall be called "The great Seal of the State of Ohio."|[[s:Ohio Constitution of 1802#ARTICLE II. OF THE EXECUTIVE.|Ohio Constitution of 1802]], Article II, section 14}}

The first [[Ohio Secretary of State|Secretary of State]], [[William Creighton, Jr.]], initially used his personal seal on official documents.<ref name="Galbreath">{{cite journal|first=Charles Burleigh|last=Galbreath|author-link=Charles Burleigh Galbreath|title=Seals and Ohio flag|journal=Monthly Bulletins of the Ohio State Library|location=Columbus, Ohio|publisher=Ohio Board of Library Commissioners|volume=2|issue=4|year=1902|pages=1–5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DrwVAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA177|via=Google Books}}<!-- http://www.ohiogenealogyexpress.com/ohio_mckinley.html --></ref>

[[File:Great Seal of Ohio actual view.jpg|thumb|View of [[Sugarloaf Mountain (Ross County, Ohio)|Sugarloaf Mountain]] and Sand Hill from Adena]]

On March 25, 1803, the [[Ohio General Assembly|General Assembly]] passed an act concerning the duties of the Secretary of State, introducing the first of many designs for the state seal, based on a sketch by Creighton:

{{quote|That the secretary of state shall procure a seal, two inches in diameter, for the use of the state; a seal of the supreme court, for each clerk thereof that may be appointed, of one inch and three-fourths in diameter; and also one other seal, one inch and a half diameter, for the use of each and every county now or hereafter to be created; on which seals shall be engraved the following device: On the right side, near the bottom, a sheaf of wheat, and on the left a bundle of seventeen arrows, both standing erect, in the back ground, and rising above the sheaf and arrows a mountain, over which shall appear a rising sun. The state seal to be surrounded with these words, "The great seal of the state of Ohio." The seal of the supreme court, with these words: "The supreme court of the state of Ohio;" and the county seal with these words, "Common pleas of the county of _____," the expense of said seals to be audited by the auditor and paid out of the state treasury.|Act of [[1st Ohio General Assembly|1st General Assembly]], March 25, 1803<ref>{{cite book|chapter=An act designating the duties of the secretary of state|title=Acts of the State of Ohio: first session of the General Assembly, held under the Constitution of the State|location=Norwalk, Ohio|publisher=The Lansing Company|orig-year=1803|year=1901|pages=17–18|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4qI4AAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA17}}</ref>}}

The design was traditionally said to depict the view from U.S. Senator [[Thomas Worthington (governor)|Thomas Worthington]]'s [[Chillicothe, Ohio|Chillicothe]]-area estate, Belle View: in 1803, Creighton emerged from an all-night meeting at the estate and saw "the rising sun of the new state" just beyond Mount Logan.<ref name="Galbreath" /> Creighton and Worthington both belonged to the "[[Chillicothe Junto]]" that dominated early state politics.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the United States Attorney, Southern District of Ohio|publisher=[[United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio|United States Attorney's Office of the Southern District of Ohio]]|access-date=July 21, 2014|url=https://www.justice.gov/usao/ohs/usahistory.html}}</ref> However, most historians regard the story to be apocryphal, noting that the sun, mountains, and agricultural implements were common in seals of that era.<ref name="Dispatch Price">{{cite news|title=Is state-seal story fact or fiction?|first=Rita|last=Price|work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]]|date=September 10, 2003|page=3D|issn=1074-097X|id={{ProQuest|394573203}}}}</ref> Regardless, the present seal does represent the view from Worthington's estate, now known as [[Adena Mansion|Adena]], as a matter of law.

The physical seal of 1803 followed the adopted design loosely: from behind a full mountain range rose a sun with eyes.<ref name="Baessler">{{cite news|first=Jack|last=Baessler|title=Seal has picturesque history|location=Toledo, Ohio|work=[[The Blade (Toledo)|The Blade]]|date=March 3, 2003|access-date=July 21, 2014|url=http://www.toledoblade.com/frontpage/2003/03/02/Seal-has-picturesque-history.html}}</ref><ref name="Blade Whipple" />

===Deregulation===
{{Multiple image
| align = right
| width = 180
| image1 = Ohio Statehouse rotunda skylight, seal closeup.jpg
| caption1 = An 1847 seal was placed in the 1861 [[Ohio Statehouse]]'s rotunda skylight, removed in the 1920s, and restored in 1995.<ref name="Dispatch Johnson">{{cite news|title=School kids' fund-raising brings Great Seal back to Statehouse|first=Alan|last=Johnson|work=[[The Columbus Dispatch]]|date=October 4, 1995|page=1B|issn=1074-097X|id={{ProQuest|394260548}}}}</ref>
| image2 = Ohio True to the Union.png
| caption2 = An unofficial 1860s coat of arms shows arrows flying high above the canal.
}}

On February 19, 1805, the 1803 statute was replaced with identical wording, except for the omission of a design for the great seal. The original state seal had long since fallen out of use.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Secretary of State|title=Statutes of the State of Ohio, of a general nature, in force, December 7, 1840|editor-first=J. R.|editor-last=Swan|location=Columbus, Ohio|publisher=Samuel Medary|year=1841|page=850|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=psU5AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA850}}</ref> Despite the 1805 act being itself repealed on January 31, 1831, no replacement design was specified.<ref name="Galbreath" /> Legislators neglected to address the issue even after the [[s:Ohio Constitution of 1851|Constitution of 1851]] left intact the constitutional requirement for a design.<ref name="Sloane" />

In the meantime, a wide array of designs emerged,<ref name="05td">{{cite book|title=From A Territory To the State of Ohio: Student Activities to Understand the Transition|publisher=Museums and Interpretation Division, [[Ohio Historical Society]]|date=2005-08-22|access-date=2010-10-27|url=http://www.ohiohistoryteachers.org/02/05/05td.pdf#page=13|format=PDF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313204212/http://www.ohiohistoryteachers.org/02/05/05td.pdf|archive-date=2012-03-13}}</ref> particularly on court seals. Common embellishments included a plow and recumbent sheath of wheat, a range of mountains instead of a single peak (as in the Creighton seal), and an "ark" (a broad horn [[flatboat]] with a roof) floating on a river (understood to be the [[Ohio River]], quite a distance from Chillicothe).<ref name="Smith">{{cite book|first=William Henry|last=Smith|author-link=William Henry Smith (American politician)|title=Report of the Secretary of State|location=Columbus, Ohio|date=November 25, 1865|pages=435–441|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ll5AAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA435}}</ref><ref name="Knabenshue" /> The 1847 seal depicted in the [[Ohio Statehouse|Statehouse]] [[Rotunda (architecture)|rotunda]] skylight substitutes the Ohio with a canal, replete with a [[Narrowboat|canal boat]].<ref name="Statehouse rotunda art">{{cite web|title=Art in the Rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse|work=The Ohio Statehouse|publisher=Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board|date=2008-07-26|access-date=2010-10-17|url=http://www.ohiostatehouse.org/Education/CapitolSquare/Rotunda.aspx}}</ref> In an 1860s version, the arrows levitate among the clouds. Besides artistic liberty, some seals reflected confusion over the state's founding year, which was popularly believed to be 1802, the year the original constitution was adopted.<ref name="Sloane" />

===Fleeting empire===
{{Multiple image
| align = right
| width = 180
| image1 = Emblems of USA 1876 - Ohio.png
| caption1 = An illustration of the 1866 seal. The engraver omitted many of the embellishments but did include the motto ''{{lang|la|Imperium in imperio}}''.<ref name="Knabenshue" />
| image2 = Ohio seal, John Mallon, San Diego Hall of Justice.jpg
| caption2 = A stained-glass 1866 seal originally hung in 1889 in the [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]] [[California superior courts|Superior Courthouse]].
}}

In 1865, Secretary of State [[William Henry Smith (American politician)|William Henry Smith]] issued a report on the need to reign in the seal's design. Though appreciative of the symbolism behind the 1803 design, he found the state's {{convert|2|in|adj=on}} seal to compare unfavorably to other states' larger, more ornate seals, which also featured mottoes and obverse designs.<ref name="Smith" /> On April 6, 1866, a [[Ohio Republican Party|Republican]] General Assembly responded, calling for an elaborate coat of arms:

{{quote|That the coat of arms of the state of Ohio shall consist of the following device: A shield, upon which shall be engraved on the left, in the foreground, a bundle of 17 arrows; to the right of the arrows, a sheaf of wheat; both standing erect; in the background, and rising above the sheaf and arrows, a range of mountains and the arrows and sheaf, in the left foreground, a river shall be represented flowing toward the right foreground; supporting the shield, on the right, shall be the figure of a farmer, with implements of agriculture, and sheafs of wheat standing erect and recumbent; and in the distance, a locomotive and train of cars; [[Supporter|support]]ing the shield, on the left, shall be the figure of a smith with anvil and hammer; and in the distance, water, with a steamboat; at the bottom of the shield there shall be a motto, in these words: "[[State within a state|Imperium in Imperio]]."|63 ''[[Laws of Ohio|Ohio Laws]]'' 185}}

The act increased the size of the great seal to {{convert|2+1/2|in}} and added mandatory seals for various public officials at the state and county levels.<ref name="Sloane" /> Governor [[Jacob Dolson Cox]] issued a proclamation on November 5, 1866, that describes and bears the seal adopted that year.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jacob D. Cox Proclamation Adopting a New Seal for Ohio|first=Jacob Dolson|last=Cox|type=proclamation|date=November 5, 1866|access-date=May 14, 2018|url=http://www.ohiomemory.org/cdm/ref/collection/p267401coll32/id/2461|via=Ohio Memory}}</ref>

{{Multiple image
| align = right
| width = 180
| image1 = AmCyc Ohio - seal.jpg
| caption1 = The great seal in 1879.<ref>{{cite wikisource |chapter=Ohio |first=Eaton S. |last=Drone |plaintitle=[[New American Cyclopedia|The American Cyclopædia]] |editor1-first=George |editor1-last=Ripley |editor2-first=Charles A. |editor2-last=Dana |year=1879 |wslink=The American Cyclopædia (1879)}}</ref> A very similar design was used by the Governor's office in 1902.<ref name="Galbreath" />
| image2 = Ohio coat of arms, 1868.png
| caption2 = 1902 illustration of a state seal.
}}

The Republicans' new motto was problematic, as it ironically recalled [[states' rights]] just after the [[American Civil War|Civil War]].<ref name="Knabenshue" /><ref name="OHHist seal">{{cite journal|title=Great Seal of Ohio|journal=[[Ohio History]]|volume=10|pages=392–393|url=http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohstemplate.cfm?action=detail&Page=0010392.html&StartPage=388&EndPage=394&volume=10}}</ref> Moreover, the increased size, intricate design, and additional seals more than exhausted the $1,000 that had been appropriated to the Secretary of State ({{inflation|US-GDP|1000|1866|fmt=eq}}). An even larger [[cost overrun|budget overrun]] would have resulted from an amendment on April 16, 1867.

On May 9, 1868, a newly elected [[Ohio Democratic Party|Democratic]] General Assembly reverted to the 1803 coat of arms and formalized the depiction of a mountain range, present since Creighton's seal.<ref name="Sloane" /> The river remained in contemporary depictions.<ref name="Knabenshue">{{cite journal|title=The Great Seal of Ohio|first=S. S.|last=Knabenshue|journal=[[Ohio History]]|volume=10|pages=489–490|url=http://publications.ohiohistory.org/ohstemplate.cfm?action=detail&Page=0010489.html&StartPage=489&EndPage=491&volume=10}}</ref>

Despite the about-face, the 1866 device persisted in various capacities for decades. To the dismay of one historian, the Governor, Secretary of State, and Supreme Court all continued to seal documents with the 1866 device into the 1880s.<ref name="Sloane" /> The State Printer also published books featuring the old seal and motto into the 1900s.<ref name="Gilkey">{{cite book|title=The Ohio Hundred Year Book: A Hand-book of the Public Men and Public Institutions of Ohio from the Formation of the North-West Territory (1787) to July 1, 1901|first=Elliot Howard|last=Gilkey|location=Columbus, Ohio|publisher=Fred J. Heer, State Printer|year=1901|page=[https://archive.org/details/ohiohundredyear00assegoog/page/n788 762]|url=https://archive.org/details/ohiohundredyear00assegoog}}</ref> In 1889, stained glass seals of 42 states then in existence, including the 1866 Ohio seal, were hung in the [[California superior courts|Superior Court]] of [[San Diego County, California]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Ohio|work=A Tribute To San Diego County Courts Of The Past|publisher=San Diego County Superior Court|url=http://www.sandiego.courts.ca.gov/portal/stglass/stgls_oh.html}}</ref>

===Standardization===
{{Multiple image
| align = right
| width = 180
| image1 = Seal of Ohio (1967-1996).svg
| caption1 = A colorized reproduction of the 1967–1996 seal.
| image2 = West Seal, Capitol Square, Columbus, Ohio.jpg
| caption2 = The seal with the motto, "[[With God, all things are possible]]", in front of the [[Ohio Statehouse]].
}}

The coat of arms received a substantial revision in December 1967. Cincinnati-based interior decorator Robert Greiwe had been commissioned to paint the Great Seal on the [[dropped ceiling]] of the [[Ohio Statehouse]] rotunda. His uncertainty over which version to paint led State Representatives [[Ralph B. Kohnen]] and [[Myrl Shoemaker]] to sponsor 107 HB 164, which standardized a specific design throughout state government.<ref name="Blade Whipple">{{cite news|title=General Assembly Solved Ohio's Great Seal Dispute, Or Did It?<!-- do not lowercase any word here – this is how the title is printed in the source -->|first=Edson|last=Whipple|location=Toledo, Ohio|work=The Blade|date=October 15, 1967|page=A2|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=b_1OAAAAIBAJ&pg=7346,16364|via=Google News}}</ref><ref>[http://beta.worldcat.org/archivegrid/collection/data/35652520 Card catalog entry] for ''Greiwe Interiors Records, 1888–1975'' (bulk 1888–1940, 1965–1968), Mss BC 011, Cincinnati Historical Society, [[Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal|Cincinnati Museum Center]]. {{OCLC|35652520}}.</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|title=Secret Columbus: Insider's Tour of the Ohio Statehouse|first=Anthony|last=Dominic|magazine=[[Columbus Monthly]]|publisher=[[The Columbus Dispatch|Dispatch Printing Company]]|date=October 2014|access-date=January 19, 2015|url=http://www.columbusmonthly.com/content/stories/2014/10/secret-columbus-insiders-tour-of-the-ohio-statehouse.html|archive-date=April 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422225826/https://www.columbusmonthly.com/content/stories/2014/10/secret-columbus-insiders-tour-of-the-ohio-statehouse.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="DoverDR">{{cite news|title=Ohio's Great Seal Still Unofficial|location=Dover, Ohio|work=[[The Times-Reporter|The Daily Reporter]]|agency=Associated Press|date=September 12, 1967|page=3|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/30453981/}}</ref> The river was reintroduced to the coat of arms, while seventeen distinct rays of sunlight extended to the perimeter of the coat of arms. Now the scene officially depicted the view from Adena. A reference image was for the first time included in the statute:<ref name="Blade Whipple" /><ref name="ODOT seal">{{cite web|title=The Great Seal of Ohio; The ODOT Emblem|publisher=[[Ohio Department of Transportation]]|date=2005-08-12|access-date=2007-08-04|url=http://www.dot.state.oh.us/dist9/Seal_Logo.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071214002936/http://www.dot.state.oh.us/dist9/Seal_Logo.htm|archive-date=2007-12-14}}</ref><ref name="Page's 1983">{{cite book|title=Page's Ohio Revised Code Annotated|editor-first=William Herbert|editor-last=Page|year=1984|page=56|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f1BOAQAAIAAJ}}</ref><ref name="Post sunlight">{{cite news|title=Sunlight and the seal|department=editorial|work=[[The Cincinnati Post]]|publisher=[[E. W. Scripps Company]]|date=August 24, 1996|access-date=January 11, 2015|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-72858992.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329142026/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-72858992.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 29, 2015|url-access=subscription |via=HighBeam Research}}</ref>

{{quote|The coat of arms of the state shall consist of the following device: a circular shield; in the right foreground of the shield a full sheaf of wheat bound and standing erect; in the left foreground, a cluster of seventeen arrows bound in the center and resembling in form the sheaf of wheat; in the background, a representation of Mount Logan, Ross county, as viewed from Adena state memorial; over the mount, a rising sun three-quarters exposed and radiating seventeen rays, the exterior extremities of which form a semicircle; and uniting the background and foreground, a representation of the Scioto river and cultivated fields. The coat of arms of the state shall correspond substantially with the following design:

[...] 

When the coat of arms of the state is reproduced in color, the colors shall be substantially the same as the natural color of the terrain and objects shown.}}

Under the new legislation, the Governor was given authorization to regulate the seal's use. All new seals acquired after January 1, 1969, were required to bear the new design, and the requirement was extended to county and municipal governments for the first time. Many cities had already adopted seals that bore no relation to the state seal, but they were exempted under a [[grandfather clause]]. Though the physical Great Seal was also exempted, the Governor's office eventually replaced it with one that conformed to the new design.<ref name="Blade Whipple" />

The latest modification, adopted November 20, 1996, reduced the number of rays from 17 to 13, "to represent the thirteen original colonies shining over the first state in the northwest territory".<ref name="121 legislative status">{{cite web|title=FINAL Legislative Status Sheet - 121st GA|publisher=Ohio Legislative Service Commission|date=1996-12-31|access-date=2010-10-17|url=http://www.lsc.state.oh.us/status/final121.pdf|quote=[SB 213] Great Seal/Coat of Arms-change-13 rays}}</ref> The reference image was also modified to include a small dot at the interior end of each ray.<ref name="125 HB 99" /> The bill's sponsor, Senator [[Roy Ray]], argued that the number 17 was already present in the bundle of arrows. State agencies were given a deadline of March 1, 2003{{spaced ndash}} the [[Ohio Bicentennial|state bicentennial]]{{spaced ndash}} to update the seal on all publications.<ref name="Post sunlight" /> There were unsuccessful attempts in 1997, 1999, 2003, and 2011 to add the ''[[Wright Flyer]]'' to the seal.<ref name="125 HB 99">[http://archives.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=125_HB_99 125 HB 99], 125th General Assembly.</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Dayton urges Wright Brothers' plane on state seal|first=James|last=Hannah|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|publisher=Newhouse Newspapers|agency=Associated Press|date=June 29, 1997|page=8B|id={{ProQuest|291812076}}}}</ref><ref name="123 HB 17">[http://archives.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=123_HB_17 123 HB 17], 123rd General Assembly.</ref><ref name="129 HB 309">[http://archives.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=129_HB_309 129 HB 309], 129th General Assembly.</ref>

==Usage==
[[File:Ohio License Plate 2004.jpg|thumb|"Sunburst" featured the upper half of the Ohio coat of arms.]]
Section 5.10 of the [[Ohio Revised Code]] requires the seals of all "state, county, and municipal agencies, divisions, boards and commissions" to bear the state coat of arms. It also specifies the exact wording of the text surrounding the coat of arms of various courts and statewide elected offices. Notaries public are also required to incorporate the state coat of arms in their seals. Various state agencies, such as the Departments of [[Ohio Department of Transportation|Transportation]]<ref name="ODOT seal" /> and [[Ohio Department of Veterans Services|Veterans Services]], along with many cities, have developed more distinctive emblems and logos to complement their seals.

The state coat of arms appears in the center of the [[Flag of Ohio#Flag of the governor|flag of the governor of Ohio]]. This design was adopted unofficially in 1905 and officially in 1945.<ref name="Smith2">{{cite book|title=The Flag Book of the United States|first=Whitney|last=Smith|author-link=Whitney Smith|location=New York City|publisher=[[William Morrow and Company]]|year=1975|page=[https://archive.org/details/flagbookofunit00smit/page/164 164]|url=https://archive.org/details/flagbookofunit00smit|url-access=registration|isbn=9780688079772}}</ref> Previously, in 1860, state militia officials unsuccessfully [[Flag of Ohio#Arsenal flag|proposed a state flag]] consisting of the seal upon a white field.<ref name="DAR Hodge">{{cite speech|title=Speech by State Regent O. J. Hodge|first=Orlando John|last=Hodge|event=Thirteenth Continental Congress of the [[Daughters of the American Revolution]]|location=Washington, D.C.|date=April 19, 1904|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fANHAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA77|via=Google Books}}</ref>

From 2004 to 2010, the state's official coat of arms served as a backdrop for the [[Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles|Bureau of Motor Vehicles]]' "Sunburst" [[Vehicle registration plates of Ohio|license plate]] design, which was issued over a longer period than any other design since the 1980s. Since 2021, the full-color Artist's Version also appears in the background of the "Sunrise in Ohio" license plate design.<ref>{{cite news |last=Tobias |first=Andrew J. |date=October 21, 2021 |title=Ohio unveils new 'Sunrise in Ohio' license plate design |url=https://www.cleveland.com/open/2021/10/ohio-unveils-new-sunrise-in-ohio-license-plate-design.html |work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|location=Cleveland |publisher=Advance Publications |access-date=December 30, 2021}}</ref>

===Variations===
{{hidden begin|border=1px solid #aaa|title={{center|Seals of state government offices}}}}
<gallery>
File:Seal of the Governor of Ohio.svg|[[Seals of Governors of the U.S. States|Seal]] of the [[governor of Ohio]]
File:Seal of the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio.svg|Seal of the [[lieutenant governor of Ohio]]
File:Seal of the Ohio House of Representatives.svg|Seal of the [[Ohio House of Representatives]]
File:Seal of the Ohio Senate.svg|Seal of the [[Ohio Senate]]
File:Seal of the President of the Ohio Senate.svg|Seal of the [[List of presidents of the Ohio Senate|president of the Ohio Senate]]
File:Seal of the Supreme Court of Ohio.svg|Seal of the [[Supreme Court of Ohio]]
File:Seal of Ohio Secretary of State.svg|Seal of the [[secretary of state of Ohio]]
File:Seal of the Attorney General of Ohio.svg|Seal of the [[attorney general of Ohio]]
File:Seal of the State Treasurer of Ohio.svg|Seal of the [[Ohio state treasurer]]
File:Seal of the State Auditor of Ohio.svg|Seal of the [[Ohio state auditor]]
File:Seal of the Inspector General of Ohio.svg|Seal of the inspector general of Ohio
File:Seal of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.svg|Seal of the Ohio Department of Agriculture
File:Seal of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.svg|Seal of the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles
File:Seal of the Ohio Department of Commerce.svg|Seal of the [[Ohio Department of Commerce]]
File:Seal of the Ohio Department of Taxation.svg|Seal of the Ohio Department of Taxation
File:Seal of the Ohio Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs.svg|Seal of the Ohio Commission on Hispanic and Latino Affairs
File:OBM-Logo rgb 1000px-1000px.png|Seal of the Ohio Office of Budget and Management
File:Seal of the Ohio Elections Commission.svg|Seal of the Ohio Elections Commission
File:Seal of the Ohio Ethics Commission.svg|Seal of the Ohio Ethics Commission
File:Seal of the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.svg|Seal of the [[Ohio Civil Rights Commission]]
File:Seal of the Ohio Consumers Counsel.svg|Seal of the Ohio consumers' counsel
File:Seal of the Ohio Public Defender.svg|Seal of the Ohio public defender
File:Seal of the Ohio Medical Board.svg|Seal of the Ohio Medical Board
</gallery>
{{hidden end}}
{{hidden begin|border=1px solid #aaa|title={{center|Seals of other government associations}}}}
<gallery>
File:Seal of the County Auditors Association of Ohio.svg|Seal of the County Auditors' Association of Ohio
File:Seal of the County Treasurers Association of Ohio.svg|Seal of the County Treasurers Association of Ohio
</gallery>
{{hidden end}}
{{hidden begin|border=1px solid #aaa|title={{center|Seals of local governments}}}}
<gallery>
File:Seal of Hubbard, Ohio.svg|Seal of the [[Hubbard, Ohio|City of Hubbard]]
File:Seal of Portsmouth, Ohio.svg|Seal of the [[Portsmouth, Ohio|City of Portsmouth]]
File:Seal of Youngstown, Ohio.svg|Seal of the [[Youngstown, Ohio|City of Youngstown]]
File:Seal of Adams County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Adams County, Ohio|Adams County]]
File:Seal of Columbiana County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Columbiana County, Ohio|Columbiana County]]
File:Seal of Fairfield County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Fairfield County, Ohio|Fairfield County]]
File:Seal of Franklin County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Franklin County, Ohio|Franklin County]]
File:Seal of Guernsey County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Guernsey County, Ohio|Guernsey County]]
File:Seal of Hamilton County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Hamilton County, Ohio|Hamilton County]]
File:Seal of Hancock County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Hancock County, Ohio|Hancock County]]
File:Seal of Highland County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Highland County, Ohio|Highland County]]
File:Seal of Mahoning County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Mahoning County, Ohio|Mahoning County]]
File:Seal of Ross County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Ross County, Ohio|Ross County]]
File:Seal of Warren County (Ohio).svg|Seal of [[Warren County, Ohio|Warren County]]
</gallery>
{{hidden end}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Ohio}}
*[[List of Ohio state symbols]]
*[[Seal of Cincinnati]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Great Seal of the State of Ohio}}
* [http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/gp5.04 Section 5.04 of the Ohio Revised Code] (Lawriter)&nbsp;– defines the state coat of arms
** [http://gwav.tripod.com/ohio.htm Graphical version of §5.04]
* [http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/gp5.10 Section 5.10 of the Ohio Revised Code] (Lawriter)&nbsp;– defines the state seal
{{US state coats of arms}}
{{US state seals}}
{{Ohio}}

[[Category:United States state seals|Ohio]]
[[Category:Symbols of Ohio]]
[[Category:Coats of arms with mountains|Ohio]]
[[Category:Coats of arms with wheat|Ohio]]
[[Category:Coats of arms with arrows|Ohio]]
[[Category:Coats of arms with suns|Ohio]]
[[Category:Coats of arms with sunrays|Ohio]]
[[Category:Symbols introduced in 1967]]
[[Category:1967 establishments in Ohio]]