Picture of the day

South Carolina is a state in the Southeastern United States and the easternmost of the Deep South. It became the eighth state to ratify the Constitution, on May 23, 1788, as well as the first to vote in favor of secession from the Union, on December 20, 1860. After the American Civil War, the state was readmitted to the Union on June 25, 1868. The state capital is Columbia, while the largest city is Charleston. South Carolina is named in honor of King Charles I of England, who first formed the English colony in 1629. From east to west, the state can be divided into three main geographic areas: the Atlantic coastal plain (also known as the Lowcountry), the Piedmont and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

This picture is a depiction of the historical coat of arms of South Carolina, illustrated by American engraver Henry Mitchell as part of State Arms of the Union, published in 1876 by Louis Prang. The left ellipse shows a tall palmetto and a fallen oak, respectively representing the victorious defenders and the British fleet at the Battle of Sullivan's Island, with the Latin motto Animis opibusque parati ('Prepared in mind and resources'). The right ellipse depicts the Roman goddess Spes, representing hope, with the sun rising behind her and the Latin motto Dum spiro spero ('While I breathe, I hope'). The supporters are a personification of Liberty on the left and a Continental soldier on the right, while Fame goes from Liberty to the soldier above. Part of this design also appears in the seal of South Carolina.Illustration credit: Henry Mitchell; restored by Andrew Shiva