Design
When New Mexico became a state in 1912, the Legislature named a Commission for the purpose of designing a State Seal. In June 1913, the Commission, which consisted of Governor William C. McDonald, Attorney General Frank W. Clancy, Chief Justice Clarence J. Roberts and Secretary of State Antonio Lucero, filed its report adopting the general design of the Territorial Seal, substituting only the date 1912. That seal is still in use today as the official seal of New Mexico.
The official act of the legislature reads:
The coat of arms of the state shall be the Mexican eagle grasping a serpent in its beak, the cactus in its talons, shielded by the American eagle with outspread wings, and grasping arrows in its talons; the date 1912 under the eagles and, on a scroll, the motto: "Crescit Eundo." The great seal of the state shall be a disc bearing the coat of arms and having around the edge the words "Great Seal of the State of New Mexico.
The Mexican Eagle and the American Bald Eagle. New Mexico was settled by Spanish colonists as part of New Spain, and was later part of Mexico. As such, symbols and customs of Mexico grew up in New Mexico as well. The Mexican eagle grasps a snake in its beak and cactus in its talons, portraying an ancient Aztec myth. Mexico adopted this symbolic image when it was under Spanish administration, and New Mexico identified with it as well. On the seal, it symbolizes that New Mexico still holds on to its Spanish, Mexican and Native American traditions. The Mexican eagle is small and shielded by the larger American eagle, which grasps arrows in its talons, its wings outstretched with its watchful eyes guarding the Mexican eagle. This configuration is meant to show the change of sovereignty in 1846 between Mexico and the United States. It also symbolizes America's dominant yet delicate protection of New Mexico and its heritage and culture.
1912. Originally, New Mexico's territorial seal was engraved with MDCCCL (1850 in Roman numerals) to commemorate the date New Mexico was organized as a territory. But after it was admitted as a state, the Commission decided that that was a better date to use on the Seal. They decided against using Roman numerals, believing it was too pretentious.
Great Seal of the State of New Mexico. No one is quite sure who came up with the term, but it appeared on New Mexico's first State Seal, and was added to the Seal adopted in 1913, untouched - with the small exception of changing the word "Territory" to "State".
Read more about this topic: Seal Of New Mexico
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