Great Seal of Canada

Great Seal of Canada

Great Seal of Canada With the creation of the new state of Canada in 1867 a seal was needed for purposes of government. Accordingly, a temporary seal was readied. The intricate work of engraving a permanent seal was completed in England in 1869 and delivered to the governor general. It was single sided and showed Queen Victoria seated beneath a gothic canopy. Following custom, new seals were prepared with the accession of each new monarch: Edward VII, George V, George VI (because of his abdication, no great seal for Edward VIII was put into use) and Elizabeth II. That for the new queen was made at the Royal Canadian Mint in Ottawa. It was designed by Canadian artist Eric Aldwinckle and depicts the queen and the royal armorial bearings of Canada. It was authorized for use 14 Nov 1955. The governor general is the official keeper of the great seal; the registrar general has the day-to-day custody.

The great seal is usually impressed directly onto the surface of a document (see, for example, the photo of the constitution document accompanying the CONSTITUTION entry).