Grand sceau de la République française

The Great seal of France is the official seal of the French Republic Image File history File links Great_Seal_of_France. ... Image File history File links Great_Seal_of_France. ... Seal on envelope A seal is an impression printed on, embossed upon, or affixed to a document (or any other object) in order to authenticate it, in lieu of or in addition to a signature. ...

Description

The Great Seal features a personification of liberty as a sitted Juno wearing a sever-pike crown. She holds a fasces and is supported by a ship's tiller with a cock printed on it. She has a vase at her feet with the letters "SU" ("Suffrage Universel", "Universal voting"). At her right, in the background, are symbols of the Arts (painter's tools), agriculture (wreaths of wheat) and industry (a teethed wheel). The scene is surrounded by "RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE, DÉMOCRATIQUE, UNE ET INDIVISIBLE" ("French Republic, democratic, one and indivisible") and "24 FEV.1848" (February 24, 1848) at the bottom. Liberty is generally thought of in English as a condition in which an individual has immunity from the arbitrary exercise of authority; it often also implies the right to exercise political rights such as standing for office. ... Juno can refer to: Juno, the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Hera A guardian spirit for Roman women (equivalent of the male Genius) Jupiter IRBM rocket (Juno II) the Jupiter-C IRBM rocket (Juno or Juno I) the Juno Awards, a Canadian music award festival Juno Beach, one of... A statue of Cincinnatus resigning from dictatorship by returning the Roman fasces Fasces (the plural, almost a plurale tantum, of the Latin word fascis, bundle) symbolise summary power and jurisdiction. ... A tiller is a lever attached to a rudder post (american terminology) or rudder stock (english terminology) in order to provide the leverage for the helmsman to turn the rudder. ... Rooster in grass, demonstrating the alert stance before sounding an alarm A cock (or rooster in the United States and Canada) is a male chicken (the female being a hen). ... February 24 is the 55th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The reverse bears the words "AU NOM DU PEUPLE FRANÇAIS" ("in the name of the French people") surrounded by a crown of oak (symbol of perenity) and laurel (symbol of glory) leaves tied together with weed and grapes (agriculture and wealth), with the circular motto « ÉGALITÉ, FRATERNITÉ, LIBERTÉ ».

History

The first seals were created by the Merovingian kings to authentify their orders. Merely rings originally, later worn on a necklace, the royal seals grew bigger and bigger under the Capetian Dynasty to reach around 12 centimetres. These are the modern dimensions of the seal. For other uses of the term Merovingian, see Merovingian (disambiguation). ... The direct Capetian Dynasty followed the Carolingian rulers of France from 987 to 1328. ...

All the seals on the Ancien Régime featured the king sitting on this throne and giving justice, yet every king had his own personal seal, a unique item which disapeared with him. All edits, orders, decrees and declarations were then sealed. Ancien Régime means Old Rule or Old Order in French; in English, the term refers primarily to the social and political system established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties. ...

After the abolition of Monarchy and instauration of the Republic on the 21 September 1792, the end of monarchy was symbolised by the seals of the State being broken and sent to the Monnaie (the place where seals and coins are made and stored). In September 1792, Danton (then minister of Justice) had the first seal of the Republic made: a personified Liberty standing, supported by a fasces and holding a spear with a phrygian cap. This article is about a legislative body and constitutional convention during the French Revolution. ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Danton is the name of a number of films based around the life of Georges Danton. ... The Phrygian cap or Liberty cap is a soft conical cap with the top pulled forward, worn by the inhabitants of Phrygia, a region of central Anatolia in antiquity. ...

Napoléon, Louis XVIII and Charles X all took back the seal of majesty, Louis-Phillipe showing only his bust. Bonaparte as general Napoléon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution and was the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from November 11, 1799 to May 18, 1804, then as Emperor of the French (Empereur des Français... Louis XVIII (November 17, 1755 - September 16, 1824) was King of France and Navarre from 1814 (although he declared that he considered his reign to have begun in 1795) until his death in 1824, with a brief break in 1815 due to Napoleons return in the Hundred Days. ... Charles X, King of France and of Navarre (October 9, 1757 – November 6, 1836) was born at the Palace of Versailles. ... Louis-Philippe of France (October 6, 1773–August 26, 1850) reigned as the Orléanist king of the French from 1830 to 1848. ...

The present seal dates back to the Second Republic, which briefly used the seals of the First Republic before having a new design made by the artist Jacques-Jean Barre on the 8 September 1848. The French Second Republic (often simply Second Republic) was the republican regime of France from February 25, 1848 to December 2, 1852. ... Jacques-Jean Barre (3 August 1793 in Paris-10 June 1855 in Paris) was the general engraver at the Monnaie de Paris between 1842 and 1855. ... September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Usage

Under the Second Republic, usage of the Great Seal of France tended to be reduced to sealing laws, decrees of the National Assembly and diplomatic treaties. The function of Keeper of the seals was officially linked to that of Minister of Justice at that time (hence the modern usage of the words "Garde des Sceaux" for the French minister of Justice). In the context of the Politics of France under the Republic, Keeper of the Seals (Garde des Sceaux) is a title held by the Minister of Justice. ... The Justice Minister is a cabinet position in a government. ...

After the Second Empire, the usage of sealing laws was gradually abandonned and restricted to constitutional acts and diplomatic treaties (for instance, the Treaty of Versailles was sealed in this way). The Second French Empire or Second Empire was the imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France. ... The treaty was an International affair The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 was the peace treaty which officially ended World War I between the Allies and Germany. ...

Under the Fourth Republic, the only document to be sealed was the Constitution of the 27 October 1946. The Fourth Republic existed in France between 1946 and 1958. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

Since the Fifth Republic, after sealing the Constitution of the 4 October 1958, it became common practice to seal some constitutional modifications. The Fifth Republic is the fifth and current republican constitution of France, which was introduced on October 5, 1958. ... October 4 is the 277th day of the year (278th in Leap years). ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Sealing ceremonies are always held at the Chancellerie where the Guardian of the Seals, the minister of Justice, holds a sealing press affixed to a best and the unique matrices of the Seal of the State.

Sealing documents

Sealing wax

Originally, sealers used a Plasticity plastic sealing wax which they shaped by hand into generally circular pieces which were definitely shaped by a press. In physics and materials science, plasticity is a property of a material to undergo a non-reversible change of shape in response to an applied force. ... Sealing wax is used to seal envelopes. ...

Nowadays, a liquid wax is fed directly into the inferior part of a shape made of a stamp and a mobile metalic ring; the shape is closed and the wax cools down until it becomes pasty before it is applied.

Usage of the Great Seal having become obsolete between 1920 and 1946, the recipe for the wax was lost. In 1946, trials had to be made by the Sigillographic service of the National Archives. 1920 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar) // Events WIKIPEDIA EATS VAGINA January 7 - Forces of Russian White admiral Kolchak surrender in Krasnoyarsk. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... This page is a candidate to be copied to Wiktionary. ...

Colour

The Ancien Régime used a green wax for important documents, and a yellow for less important ones. Ancien Régime means Old Rule or Old Order in French; in English, the term refers primarily to the social and political system established in France under the Valois and Bourbon dynasties. ...

The Restoration, the July Monarchy and the Third Republic kept the yellow wax, while the First Republic|, the Consulate and the Empire used a red wax. Following the ousting of Napoleon I of France in 1814, the Allies restored the Bourbon Dynasty to the French throne. ... The July Monarchy was established in France with the reign of Louis Philippe of France. ... A map of France under the Third Republic, featuring colonies. ... The French people proclaimed Frances First Republic on 21 September 1792 as a result of the French Revolution and of the abolition of the French monarchy. ... The Consulate marks a period of French constitutional history between 1799 and 1804 - from the fall of the Directory and the First French Republic to the start of the Napoleonic Empire. ... The tone of this article is inappropriate for an encyclopedia. ...

The Constitution of 1946 has taken back the red colour.

Ribbons

The Empire sealed on wide yellow and blue silk ribbons; the Republic and the Consulate, on a tricolour braid. The tone of this article is inappropriate for an encyclopedia. ...

The Third Republic used the same red and green ribbon as the Monarchy. Since 1946, a tricolour ribbon is in usage. A map of France under the Third Republic, featuring colonies. ...