Seal of Maine

Great Seal of Maine
Armiger	State of Maine
Adopted	June 15, 1820
Motto	Dirigo (Latin: "I direct" or "I lead")

Coat of arms of Maine
Versions
Historical coat of arms (1876)
Coat of arms according to Ströhl, 1899
Armiger	State of Maine
Adopted	June 9, 1820
Crest	A mullet (the North Star), shining Or
Shield	Argent, charged with a pine tree (Americana, quinis ex uno folliculo setis) with a moose (cervus alces), at the foot of it, recumbent
Supporters	On dexter side, a husbandman, resting on a scythe; on sinister side, a seaman, resting on an anchor
Compartment	In the foreground, representing sea and land, and under the shield, the name of the State in large Roman capitals, to wit: MAINE
Motto	Dirigo (Latin: "I direct" or "I lead")

The Great Seal of the State of Maine was adopted in June 1820. The concept of the design is attributed to Benjamin Vaughan of Hallowell, Maine,^[1] while the original sketch is credited to Bertha Smouse, the step-daughter of Col. Isaac Reed of Waldoboro, Maine, who purportedly wrote its official description and explanation.^[2] There have been variations in the details of the seal, but the overall design and images remain true to the original. The center of the seal is a shield adorned with a tranquil scene of a moose resting in a field bordered by water and woods; a pine tree stands tall directly behind the moose. On either side of the shield, a farmer rests on his scythe, and a sailor leans on an anchor. Above the shield is the motto "Dirigo" (I direct) and a stylized North Star. Below the shield is a banner that reads "Maine". The legislature of 1919 decided that the design of the seal should no longer vary, and the design is still used today.