The Seal
The seal shows a sailing-vessel approaching the coast,
a palm tree, a plow and a spade on the shore, a dove on the wing with an
open scroll in its claws and the sun just emerging from the waters. Above
the emblem the national motto: THE LOVE OF LIBERTY BROUGHT US HERE and
beneath it, the words REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA.
The symbols of the seal are obvious: a peace-bringing
bird, the dove, arrives with a message from overseas (the United States),
the granting of independence. The ship represents the arrival of the
colonists, as does the national motto:
THE LOVE OF LIBERTY BROUGHT US
HERE.
Also the spade and the plough refer to the colonists as they brought
these tools with them. The palm tree may symbolize one of the main
products of the region.
© fpm van der kraaij
by Fred van der Kraaij