Symbols on the Great Seal of the United States The two sides of the Great Seal are composed of natural and cultural symbols that combine to create a dynamic design whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Complementing the imagery are three Latin mottoes and one set of Roman numerals. OBVERSE SIDE Glory breaking through a Cloud Constellation of 13 Stars American Bald Eagle E Pluribus Unum Shield Olive Branch Bundle of 13 Arrows REVERSE SIDE Annuit Coeptis Eye of Providence Unfinished Pyramid MDCCLXXVI Novus Ordo Seclorum Read the official 1782 description of the Great Seal and the explanation of its symbolism. Related symbols: Seal of the President Ben Franklin and the Wild Turkey Thirteen – America's number Other Sections of GreatSeal.com Preliminary Designs suggested by three committees Myth and Misinformation about the Great Seal Mottoes on the Seal's two sides Overview | Front Page Great Seal Sightings