Primary Reference for GreatSeal.com The Eagle and the Shield: A History of the Great Seal of the United States This comprehensive book by Richard S. Patterson and Richardson Dougall was published in 1976 by the Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, Department of State, under the auspices of the American Revolution Bicentennial Administration. (681 pages, 92 illustrations) In 2003, the U.S. State Department produced an excellent 18-page pamphlet on the history the Great Seal (PDF - 3 Mb). Front Page