- Seal of Maine
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Great Seal of the State of Maine 
Details Armiger State of Maine Adopted June 1820 Motto Dirigo The Great Seal of the State of Maine was adopted in June 1820. 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 lead), 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.
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Motto
Dirigo (Latin "I direct" or "I lead") is the state motto of Maine, having once been the only state to hold its elections in September. (Politicians kept their eyes on these elections for evidence of a trend. Prior to the New Deal, Republicans claimed "As Maine goes, so goes the nation.")
The resolutions adopting the seal upon which this motto appears, give some insight into the meaning intended by the state motto: "...as the Polar Star has been considered the mariner's guide and director in conducting the ship over the pathless ocean to the desired haven, and as the center of magnetic attraction; as it has been figuratively used to denote the point, to which all affections turn, and as it is here intended to represent the State, it may be considered the citizens' guide, and the object to which the patriot's best exertions should be directed".
The motto has been used for the name of the Dirigo Health Agency which oversees the state of Maine's health care system.
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Coat of arms of Maine
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Coat of arms of Maine, according to Ströhl, 1899
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Seal of the Governor of Maine
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Seal of the State Planning Office of Maine
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Seal of the Maine Treasurer
See also
- Coat of Arms of the U.S. States
- Seals of the U.S. states
- List of Maine state symbols
- Flag of Maine
References
External links
State of MaineAugusta (capital) Topics Index | Culture | Geography | Government | Governors | History | Images | People | Visitor Attractions | Congressional districts
Regions Down East | Highlands | Kennebec Valley | Lake Country | Mid Coast | North Woods | Penobscot Bay | Southern Coast | Western Mountains
Counties Androscoggin | Aroostook | Cumberland | Franklin | Hancock | Kennebec | Knox | Lincoln | Oxford | Penobscot | Piscataquis | Sagadahoc | Somerset | Waldo | Washington | York
Cities Largest towns Categories:- Symbols of Maine
- United States state seals
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