Editing Great Seal of the United States (section)

===Third committee===
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| footer = Third committee's proposal, drawn by William Barton
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After two more years, Congress formed a third committee on May 4, 1782, this time consisting of [[John Rutledge]], [[Arthur Middleton]], and [[Elias Boudinot]]. [[Arthur Lee (diplomat)|Arthur Lee]] replaced Rutledge, although he was not officially appointed. As with the previous two committees, most of the work was delegated to a heraldic expert, this time 28-year-old [[William Barton (heraldist)|William Barton]].<ref name="statepub"/><ref name="gs3rd">{{cite web |url = http://www.greatseal.com/committees/thirdcomm/index.html |title = Third Great Seal Committee: May 1782 |publisher = greatseal.com |first = John D. |last = MacArthur |access-date = February 3, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125062919/http://www.greatseal.com/committees/thirdcomm/index.html |archive-date= 25 January 2013  }}</ref>

Barton drew a design very quickly, using a rooster on the crest, but it was much too complex. No drawing of this design seems to have survived.<ref name="ahdesign"/><ref name="gs3rd"/>

[[File:Continental $50 note 1778 pyramid.jpg|thumb|left|[[Francis Hopkinson|Hopkinson's]] pyramid from 1778]]
Barton then came up with another design, which the committee submitted back to Congress on May 9, 1782, just five days after being formed. This time, the figures on each side of the shield were the "[[Genius (mythology)|Genius]] of the American Confederated Republic" represented by a maiden, and on the other side an American warrior. At the top is an eagle and on the pillar in the shield is a "Phoenix in Flames". The mottos were ''In Vindiciam Libertatis'' (In Defense of Liberty) and ''Virtus sola invicta'' (Only virtue unconquered).<ref name="gs3rd"/>

For the reverse, Barton used a [[pyramid]] of thirteen [[step pyramid|steps]], with the radiant Eye of Providence overhead, and used the mottos ''Deo Favente'' ("With God favoring") and ''Perennis'' (Everlasting).<ref name="gs3rd"/> The pyramid had come from another Continental currency note designed in 1778 by Hopkinson, this time the $50 note, which had a nearly identical pyramid and the motto ''Perennis''.<ref name="gs3rd"/> Barton had at first specified "on the Summit of it a Palm Tree, proper", with the explanation that "The Palm Tree, when burnt down to the very Root, naturally rises fairer than ever," but later crossed it out and replaced it with the Eye of Providence, taken from the first committee's design.<ref name="gs3rdblazon">{{cite web |url = http://www.greatseal.com/committees/thirdcomm/bartonblazon.html |title = Heraldic Description of Third Committee's Great Seal Design |publisher = greatseal.com |first = John D. |last = MacArthur |access-date = February 3, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130124200854/http://www.greatseal.com/committees/thirdcomm/bartonblazon.html |archive-date=24 January 2013   }}</ref>

Congress again took no action on the submitted design.