page_title: Seal of the District of Columbia
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Seal of the District of Columbia / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Arms of the states and territories of the American union in 1876 (48 states) Français&#160;: Blasons des états et territoires de l'union américaine en 1876 (48 états).
context_page_description: The seal of the District of Columbia consists of a circular design with the words “DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA” stretched across the top inside portion in an arc. The Seal includes two human figures which are the likeness of George Washington and a blindfolded female figure holding a wreath in her right hand and a stone tablet with the word "CONSTITUTION" in her left hand. The Seal also contains a depiction of the United States Capitol, several agricultural products, an eagle in a war stance, a train locomotive crossing the Potomac River, emblazoned by a radiating sun and trailed by several rail cars. The seal reads the motto of the District of Columbia, "JUSTITIA OMNIBUS"; and "1871". The official seal is always presented in black and white. The Secretary of the District of Columbia is the official custodian of the Seal.
context_section_description: When it was first adopted in 1871, the original seal featured Lady Justice placing a wreath not on a statue of George Washington, but on the Statue of Freedom, which currently sits atop the Capitol Building. By 1888, the seal had been modified to feature a statue of George Washington.
caption: This collection of United States Seals was registered by the Library of Congress in 1876. When enlarged, the Seal of the District of Columbia has one noticeable difference: the space now occupied by George Washington is held by the Statue of Freedom.
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