Replica Great Seal of the Confederacy
ArtistOriginal engraved by
Joseph S. Wyon
(English, 1836 - 1873)
ArtistElectrotype by
Samuel H. Black
(American, active 1870s)
CultureAmerican
Dateca. 1873
MediumGlass, silver plate electrotype, and leather and velvet case
DimensionsOverall: 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm)
Credit LineBequest of Florence L. Smith
Object number52.18.144
On View
Chrysler Museum of Art, Gallery 116-3, Case 20
Label TextJoseph S. Wyon, Engraver English (1836-1873) Samuel H. Black, Electrotypist American (active 1870s in New York) Replica Great Seal of the Confederacy, ca. 1873 Electrotype coated with silver in presentation case Inscription: THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA: 22 FEBRUARY 1862 / DEO VINDICE [With God as Our Defender] Bequest of Florence L. Smith 52.18.144 In May 1863, the Confederate congress adopted the Thomas Crawford equestrian statue of George Washington in Richmond's Capitol square as the central figure of its Great Seal. The date, February 22, 1862, inscribed on the seal was the day on which Jefferson Davis had been inaugurated as president of the Confederacy at the foot of that monument. The seal itself, produced by Joseph S. Wyon in England in 1864, came safely through the Union blockade into the hands of the Confederate government, but was not put into official use. After the fall of the Confederacy, the Great Seal was hidden and remained in private hands. In 1873, one thousand electrotype replicas in gold, silver, and bronze were quietly made from the original seal and were sold for the benefit of Southern widows and orphans. Exhibition History"First in the Hearts of His Countrymen: America Remembers George Washington 1732-1799," Chrysler Museum of Art, Nov. 23, 1999 - Summer 2001.
1936