MARYLAND'S flag bears the arms of the Calvert and Cross-
land families. Calvert was the family name of the Lords
Baltimore who founded Maryland. Crossland was the
family of the mother of the first Lord Baltimore. The
escutcheon or shield in the Maryland Seal bears the same
arms. This flag in its present form was first used about
1886. It was officially adopted in 1904. (Chapter 48, Acts
of 1904).

THE GREAT SEAL

THE Great Seal of Maryland is used by the Governor
and the Secretary of State to authenticate the Acts of the
Legislature and for other official purposes. The first Great
Seal was brought over during the early days of the Colony.
It was very much like the one pictured above and it re-
mained in use, although slightly altered, until the Revolu-
tion. The State of Maryland adopted a new seal similar
in form and spirit to those of the other States. After the
passage of a hundred years, Maryland readopted its old
seal (Joint Resolution No. 5, Legislative Session of 1876).
Only the Reverse of this seal has ever been cut. The
Obverse is, however, still considered as part of the seal
and is used, among other things, for decorating public
buildings.

Obverse

THE Obverse of the Seal shows Lord Baltimore as a
Knight in full armor mounted on a charger. The inscrip-
tion translated from Latin into English is "Cecilius,
Absolute Lord of Maryland and Avalon, Baron of Balti-
more." Avalon was the name of Lord Baltimore's grant
in Newfoundland.

Reverse

THE Reverse consists of an escutcheon or shield bearing
the Calvert and Crossland arms quartered. Above this is
an earl's coronet and a full-faced helmet. The escutcheon
is supported on one side by a farmer and on the other by
a fisherman, symbolizing Lord Baltimore's two estates of
Maryland and Avalon. The Calvert motto on the scroll is
usually translated "manly deeds, womanly words." The
Latin legend on the border is translated "with favor wilt
thou compass us as with a shield." (Psalms v, 12).