12/Maryland Manual
MARYLAND'S OFFICIAL STATE SYMBOLS

GREAT SEAL OF MARYLAND

The Great Seal of Maryland is used by the
Governor and the Secretary of State to
authenticate Acts of the Legislature and for
other official purposes. The first Great Seal
was sent from England shortly after settle-
ment of the Colony. It remained in use,
although slightly altered, until the Revolu-
tion. The State of Maryland then adopted a
new seal similar in form and spirit to those
of other states. One hundred years later,
Maryland readopted its old seal (Joint Reso-
lution no. 5, Acts of 1876). Only the reverse
of this seal has ever been cut. The obverse,
however, is still considered part of the seal
and is used, among other things, for decorat-
ing public buildings.

The reverse consists of an escutcheon, or
shield, bearing the Calvert and Crossland
arms quartered. Above 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. It symbolizes Lord
Baltimore's two estates: Maryland, and Ava-
lon in Newfoundland. The Calvert motto on
the scroll is "Fatti maschii parole femine,"
usually translated "manly deeds, womanly
words." The Latin legend on the border (the
last verse of Psalms 5 from the Vulgate) is
translated "with favor wilt thou compass us
as with a shield." The date, 1632, refers to
the year the Maryland charter was granted
to Cecilius Calvert, Second Lord Baltimore.

The obverse of the Seal shows Lord
Baltimore as a knight in full armor mounted
on a charger. The inscription translated is
"Cecilius, Absolute Lord of Maryland and
Avalon, Baron of Baltimore" (Chapter 79,
Acts of 1969; Code 1957, Art. 41, sec. 74A).