Office of the Federal Register (OFR)

Executive Orders

Executive Order 10860--Coat of arms, seal, and flag of the President of the United States

Source: The provisions of Executive Order 10860 of Feb. 5, 1960, appear at 25 FR 1089, 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., p. 393, unless otherwise noted.

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 1. The Coat of Arms of the President of the United States shall be of the following design:
SHIELD: Paleways of thirteen pieces argent and gules, a chief azure; upon the breast of an American eagle displayed holding in his dexter talon an olive branch and in his sinister a bundle of thirteen arrows all proper, and in his beak a white scroll inscribed "E PLURIBUS UNUM" sable.
CREST: Behind and above the eagle a radiating glory or, on which appears an arc of thirteen cloud puffs proper, and a constellation of thirteen mullets argent.
The whole surrounded by white stars arranged in the form of an annulet with one point of each star outward on the imaginary radiating center lines, the number of stars conforming to the number of stars in the union of the Flag of the United States as established by chapter 1 of title 4 of the United States Code.

Sec. 2. The Seal of the President of the United States shall consist of the Coat of Arms encircled by the words "Seal of the President of the United States."

Sec. 3. The Color and Flag of the President of the United States shall consist of a dark line blue rectangular background of sizes and proportions to conform to military and naval custom, on which shall appear the Coat of Arms of the President in proper colors. The proportions of the elements of the Coat of Arms shall be in direct relation to the hoist, and the fly shall vary according to the customs of the military and naval services.

Sec. 4. The Coat of Arms, Seal, and Color and Flag shall be as described herein and as set forth in the illustrations and specifications which accompany this order and which are hereby made a part thereof. These designs shall be used to represent the President of the United States exclusively.

Sec. 5. This order shall become effective on July 4, 1960, and Executive Order No. 10823 of May 26, 1959, shall be superseded as of that date.


Editorial note: A list of specifications for the flag, a photograph of the flag, an attachment detailing the proportions of the design of the flag, and an illustration of the President's seal, all of which were attached to and made a part of Executive Order 10860, are printed in 3 CFR, 1959-1963 Comp., pp. 394-396.


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