Obverse Side of the Great Seal of the United States

The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the U.S. federal government. The Latin phrase E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One) is included in the Great Seal of the United States, being one of the nation's mottos at the time of the seal's creation. E Pluribus Unum refers to the fact that the United States was formed as a cohesive single nation as the result of the thirteen smaller colonies joining together. Never codified by law, E Pluribus Unum was considered a de facto motto of the U.S. until 1956 when congress passed an act adopting "In God We Trust" as the official motto.