Seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the FBI. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself, and more generally for the design impressed upon it.

Design

Each color and symbol in the Seal of the FBI portrays values of the FBI and the United States. The blue field and the golden scale represent justice. The infinite circle of 13 stars represents unity, as portrayed by the original 13 states. The laurel leaf represents academic honors, distinction and fame. In the two branches, there are 46 leaves, since there were 46 states in the U.S. in 1908, when the FBI was founded. The importance of the red and white parallel stripes is not in the stripes themselves, but their colours. The red in the stripes symbolizes courage, valour, and strength, while the white symbolizes light, cleanliness, and truth. Similar to the American Flag, the red bars out-number the white bars by one. The motto "Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity" describes the high moral standards and high level of motivation it expects from its men and women. The bevelled edges around the seal conveys the severe challenges that the FBI faces everyday, and the ruggedness of the organization. The gold color represents its overall value.

External links

* [http://www.fbi.gov/libref/historic/fbiseal/fbiseal.htm Entry from the FBI]