California State Seal

Great Seal of the State of California

Adopted in 1849;1937

The Great Seal of California was adopted at the California state Constitutional Convention of 1849 and redesigned in 1937.

The original design of the seal was by Major R. S. Garnett of the United States Army. However, Garnett was unwilling to introduce the design to the 1849 state constitutional convention, so Caleb Lyon, a clerk of the convention, introduced it as his own design, with Garnett's approval.

The seal features the Roman goddess of wisdom, Minerva, has at her feet a grizzly bear and clusters of grapes representing wildlife and agricultural richness. A miner works near the busy Sacramento River, below the Sierra Nevada peaks. The Greek word "Eureka" meaning "I have found it", probably refers to the miner's discovery of gold. Near the upper edge of the seal are 31 stars representing the number of states with California's anticipated admission. Just as Minerva sprung full-grown from the head of Jupiter, California became a state on September 9, 1850, without having to go through a territorial stage.