Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives ( specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Existence and Location of Copies

This collection has been digitized and is available online.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Great Seal of the Confederate States of America, Ms2017-022, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The Great Seal of the Confederate States of America was donated to Special Collections and University Archives in 2001.

Processing Information

Original processing of this collection occurred in 2001. Reprocessing, arrangement, and description occurred in August 2017.

Historical Note

The original Great Seal was commissioned by the Confederate States of America, likely in 1863, from J.S. and A.B. Wyon, London, England, then Chief Engravers of Her Majesty's Seals. Reaching Richmond before the end of the American Civil War, the seal, as reported in the New York Times (21 May 1912), was removed from the city during the evacuation of April 1865 by William J. Bromwell, chief clerk of the Confederate State Department. By 1872, it was in the possession of John T. Pickett, formerly a Colonel in the Confederate army and then a lawyer in Washington D.C. and Thomas O. Selfridge, a U.S. naval officer. Pickett, reportedly, had 100 electrotype copies made, possibly by George Massamore, numismatist of Baltimore. Seventy-five were made of copper and twenty-five of silver over copper. The original seal was returned to Selfridge, who remained in possession of it until he sold it in 1912 to a group of Richmond businessmen. It now resides in Richmond at the Museum of the Confederacy.

One of the copies made for Pickett was presented by him in 1874 to Wyon, the engravers of the original seal, for authentication, as described in the document that accompanies the seal in this collection. The seal itself is one of the silver on copper electrotype copies.

Scope and Content

One of one hundred electrotype replica copies made from the original Great Seal of the Confederate States of America in the early 1870s. Of the hundred, 75 were made of copper and 25, as is the case with this example, are silver over copper. The original seal was produced for the CSA in 1864 by J. A. and A. B. Wyon, London, Chief Engravers of Seals for the British Monarchy. Accompanying the seal is a letter of authentication from Wyon dated 6 March 1874, verifying the authenticity of the impression as a faithful reproduction of the original. The Seal is held in its original gutta percha box.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• Confederate States of America
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Great Seal of the Confederate States of America by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-lwork/public-domain/cc0/ ).