Congress accepted the design of the Great Seal of the United States in 1782.
The design was submitted to Congress and accepted on June 20, 1782, after several earlier committees had failed to produce a final seal. Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson prepared the final design and explanatory notes, incorporating the eagle, shield, olive branch, arrows, and the mottos E pluribus unum and Annuit cœptis.
The first brass die was made later that year, and the seal was first used on September 16, 1782. It authenticated a document authorizing George Washington to negotiate an exchange of prisoners.
The Great Seal is not simply the same image as the national coat of arms. Its reverse, featuring the unfinished pyramid and Eye of Providence, is part of the official design but is rarely used as a physical seal. The seal remains associated with diplomatic and official federal documents.