Seal of the Vice President of the United States shield is the same, the eagle's wings are more outstretched, with the wing tips pointing slightly down ("inverted", in heraldic terms). The eagle's right talon holds an olive branch, though with fewer leaves and berries than the depiction used in the 1945 Presidential seal, and the left talon holds a single arrow (rather than the 13 specified in both the Presidential and Great Seals). While the 1945 presidential seal added a ring of 48 stars around the eagle (representing the states), a ring of 13 stars (representing the original 13 colonies) was added to the 1948 vice presidential seal. The
Great Seal of the United States [[William Barton (heraldist)|William Barton]] were Masons and, while [[Francis Hopkinson]] has been alleged to have had Masonic connections, there is no firm evidence to support the claim. [[Category:1782 establishments in the United States|Great Seal]] [[Category:American heraldry|Great Seal of the United States]] [[Category:Birds in art]] [[Category:National coats of arms]] [[Category:National seals]] [[Category:National symbols of the United States|Great Seal]] [[Category:Ordinances of the Continental Congress|Great Seal]] Great Seal of the United States The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the federal government of the United States. The phrase is used both for the physical seal