the left of Libertas stands Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture. In her left hand is a horn of plenty overflowing with the abundance of Virginia's harvests, while in her right hand is an enormous stalk of wheat, representing one of Virginia's leading crops. Aeternitas, representing Virginia's eternity, stands at the right of Libertas. In her right hand is a golden ball, an emblem of authority, and atop the ball is a phoenix, symbolizing immortality. On the Virginia seal, the phoenix represents effective government. The motto gracing the reverse with its trio of Libertas, Ceres, and Aeternitas is Perseverando, or in English, Persevering, a reminder to future generations of the need to persist in maintaining the blessings of liberty. The ornamental border on both sides of the seal consists of sprigs of Parthenocissus quinquefolia, or commonly, Virginia creeper. In 1930 another committee was charged with standardizing the seal's design because of all the variations that came into use over the years. The seals that now adorn the doors of the Southern Portico of the Capitol in Richmond were designed by Charles Keck. What the committee approved was basically adopting the 1776 seal as the standard. In 1949, another standard was implemented, when Virginia's Art Commission defined the official color scheme for the seal. The Great Seal and the lesser seal are the same except for size. The lesser seal is used on commissions of commonwealth officials and notaries, and on other papers which remain within the boundaries of, or relate only to, Virginia. Legal description of seal The Seal of Virginia is officially described in the Code of Virginia (1950), §1-500, as follows: Under Virginian state law, the secretary of the Commonwealth is the Keeper of the Seals of the Commonwealth. Governmental seals Notes References Further reading Adapted from Simkins, Francis Butler; Jones, Spotswood Hunnicutt; & Poole, Sidman P. (1964). Virginia: History, Government, Geography (Revised Edition). Charles Scribner's Sons. pp 673–675. The Virginia Legislative Information System External links State symbols of the Commonwealth of Virginia Virginian Department of General Services store Symbols of Virginia Virginia Virginia Virginia Virginia Virginia