What Latin motto appears on the Great Seal of the United States and the one-dollar bill?

“E pluribus unum” is the Latin motto on the Great Seal of the United States and the one-dollar bill.

The phrase means “Out of many, one,” expressing the idea that separate states and people form a single nation. The motto appears on the scroll held in the eagle’s beak on the seal’s obverse design. It was adopted as part of the Great Seal in 1782.

The motto’s use predates the Constitution. It appeared on the title page of The Gentlemen’s Magazine, a London publication, and was used on colonial currency and medals before becoming associated with the United States. A committee including Charles Thomson and William Barton helped develop the final seal design.

“E pluribus unum” is often confused with “In God We Trust,” the national motto adopted by Congress in 1956. “Novus ordo seclorum,” meaning “New order of the ages,” appears on the reverse side of the Great Seal beneath the unfinished pyramid. The one-dollar bill displays elements from both sides of the seal.