American Silver Eagle otherwise—it was revived for the Silver Eagle decades later. The obverse is inscribed with the year of minting or issuance, the word "LIBERTY", and the phrase "IN GOD WE TRUST". The reverse was designed by John Mercanti and portrays a heraldic eagle behind a shield; the eagle grasps an olive branch in its right talon and arrows in its left talon, echoing the Great Seal of the United States; above the eagle are thirteen five-pointed stars representing the Thirteen Colonies. The reverse is inscribed with the phrases "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", "1 OZ. FINE SILVER~ONE DOLLAR", and "E PLURIBUS UNUM"
Great Seal of the United States Its History and Heraldry; and Its Signification unto the 'Great People' thus Sealed." Hunt's account greatly details how the seal was chosen, containing sketches of other suggestions for a great seal which were made, such as Franklin's suggested motto "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God", information on the illegal seal, iterations and changes that have been made to the seal, and it also includes detailed descriptions of the symbology of the great seal (such as that provided by Charles Thomson). In honor of the fact that there were originally thirteen States in the Union, the inclusion of items consisting