There is no claim here that Sir John Prestwich suggested the eagle as an emblem, or the placing of the shield upon the eagle’s breast, but simply the pales and the chief. The theory is that Adams communicated this suggestion to Charles Thomson, who engrafted it upon his own and Barton’s designs. But it must be remembered that two shields were already on the files of Congress, with alternate red and white, or white and red, stripes, and Barton’s first design had bars of the same colors. Prestwich’s suggestion was, therefore, no more than that they be perpendicular instead of diagonal or parallel, and that the chief be blue; but in the device submitted by the committee of 1780 the diagonal stripes were charged upon a _field azure_. Sir John Prestwich, of course, knew nothing of these designs, and his statement after the seal was adopted was made in ignorance of the fact that the essentials of his suggestion were already before Congress.[27] That his suggestion influenced the final result even in the slight degree possible, seems improbable. Why did Thomson, with the Prestwich suggestion before him, make his first shield of chevrons, which Barton, it appears, changed to pales? Thomson may have told Barton of the Prestwich design, but what is more natural than that Barton should try of his own initiative the only new arrangement of the stripes that was left to try? Diagonal stripes, bars, chevrons, had all figured in designs and had not given satisfaction. Pales were then drawn and proved acceptable. V THE ARMS ADOPTED On June 20, 1782, the seal was finally decided upon. On report of the secretary, to whom were referred the several reports on the device for a great seal, to take order: The device for an armorial achievement and reverse of the great seal for the United States in Congress assembled, is as follows: ARMS. Paleways of thirteen pieces, argent and gules; a chief, azure; the escutcheon on the breast of the American eagle displayed proper, holding in his dexter talon an olive branch, and in his sinister a bundle of thirteen arrows, all proper, and in his beak a scroll, inscribed with this motto, “_E pluribus Unum_.” For the CREST. Over the head of the eagle, which appears above the escutcheon, a glory, or, breaking through a cloud, proper, and surrounding thirteen stars, forming a constellation, argent, on an azure field. REVERSE. A pyramid unfinished. In the zenith, an eye in a triangle, surrounded with a glory proper. Over the eye these words, “_Annuit Cœptis_.” On the base of the pyramid the numerical letters MDCCLXXVI. And underneath the following motto, “_Novus Ordo Seclorum_.”[28] REMARKS AND EXPLANATION