Seal of Texas

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The obverse of the Seal of the State of Texas

The Seal of the State of Texas was adopted as part of the 1845 Texas Constitution, and was based on the seal of the Republic of Texas adopted on January 25, 1839. [1] The 1845 Constitution states, "There shall be a seal of the State, which shall be kept by the Governor and used by him officially. The seal shall have a star of five points, encircled by an olive and live oak branches, and the words 'the State of Texas.'" The official artwork, drawn by Juan Vega of Round Rock, Texas, was adopted in 1991 by Secretary of State John Hannah, Jr. and Governor Ann W. Richards.

[edit] Seal Obverse

The obverse of the Seal of the State of Texas is defined by the Texas Constitution as follows:

The Seal of the State shall be a star of five points, encircled by olive and live oak branches, and the words, "The State of Texas."^[1]

[edit] Seal Reverse

The reverse of the Seal of the State of Texas has a more detailed design and is also defined by law as follows:

[T]he design for the reverse side of the Great Seal of Texas shall consist of a shield, the lower half of which is divided into two parts; on the shield's lower left is a depiction of the cannon of the Battle of Gonzales; on the shield's lower right is a depiction of Vince's Bridge; on the upper half of the shield is a depiction of the Alamo; the shield is circled by live oak and olive branches, and the unfurled flags of the Kingdom of France, the Kingdom of Spain, the United Mexican States, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America; above the shield is emblazoned the motto, "REMEMBER THE ALAMO", and beneath the shield are the words, "TEXAS ONE AND INDIVISIBLE"; over the entire shield, centered between the flags, is a white five-pointed star.^[2]

[edit] County Symbols

General state law does not require counties to adopt a seal. However laws do provide seals for the county commissioners court, county clerk, and other county offices. Until 1975, the commissioners court seal consisted of a star with five points and the words, "Commissioners Court, ---- County, Texas." A commissioners court may now select its own seal design, with the approval of the Texas Secretary of State. It is, however, common for counties to have a seal or symbol to identify the county unofficially. As noted in the Wikipedia Category "Official Seals of Places in Texas," many counties have adopted symbols with the lone star and live oak/olive branches in the center. Some counties have maintained "The State of Texas" at the top, while adding the county name below; others have replaced "The State of Texas" with the county name, with some adding the year of county establishment at the bottom.

A notable exception is Harris County, which instead uses a symbol with the Flag of Texas in the center. It's based on the five-points star