Text that appears on state seals
Railroads are known in all fifty states plus Puerto Rica and District of Columbia. 42 of those 52 governmental entities display text on their official (state, territorial, district) seals. Representations of those seals appear on fewer than 250 varieties of collectible railroad and coal company certificates, and all are modified to some degree from official versions. If any text appears on any of those seals, locations can be discerned very quickly from the list below. (Capitalization of words is variable.)
| Text |
Location |
| Ad astra per aspera |
Kansas |
| Agriculture |
Tennessee |
| Alabama River (on map) |
Alabama |
| Alabama (sometimes on map) |
Alabama |
| All for our country |
Nevada |
| Animas opibusque parati |
South Carolina |
| Black Warrior River (on map) |
Alabama |
| Cahaba River (on map) |
Alabama |
| Commerce |
Tennessee |
| Concuh River (on map) |
Alabama |
| Confidence |
Louisiana |
| Constitution |
Georgia |
| Coosa River (on map) |
Alabama |
| Crescit eundo |
New Mexico |
| Dirigo |
Maine |
| Ditat Deus |
Arizona |
| Dum spiro spero |
South Carolina |
| E Pluribus Unum |
Michigan |
| Ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem |
Massachusetts |
| Equal Rights |
Wyoming |
| Equality before the law |
Nebraska |
| Esta Perpetua |
Idaho |
| Eureka |
California |
| Excelsior |
New York |
| Fatti machii parole femine |
Maryland |
| Florida (on map) |
Alabama |
| Forward |
Wisconsin |
| Freedon and Unity |
Vermont |
| Georgia (on map) |
Alabama |
| Hope |
Rhode Island |
| Independence |
Pennsylvania |
| Joannes est nomen ejus |
Puerto Rico |
| Justice |
Louisiana |
| Justice |
Georgia |
| Justita Omnibus |
District of Columbia |
| L'Etoile du Nord |
Minnesota |
| Labor omnia vincit |
Oklahoma |
| Liberty |
Pennsylvania |
| Liberty and Independence |
Delaware |
| Liberty and Prosperity, 1776 |
New Jersey |
| Liberty and union now and forever, one and inseparable |
North Dakota |
| Livestock, Grain, Mines, Oil, 1869-1890 |
Wyoming |
| Mississippi (on map) |
Alabama |
| Moderation |
Georgia |
| Montani semper liberi |
West Virginia |
| Nil Sine Numine |
Colorado |
| Oro y Plata |
Montana |
| Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain |
Iowa |
| Pea R. (on map) |
Alabama |
| Qui Transtulit Sustinet |
Connecticut |
| Regnat Populus |
Arkansas |
| Salus populi suprema lex esto, MDCCCXX |
Missouri |
| Scuto bonae voluntatis tuae coronasti nos |
Maryland |
| Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice |
Michigan |
| Sic semper tyrannis |
Virginia |
| South Carolina |
South Carolina |
| State Sovereignty, National Union |
Illinois |
| Tennessee River (on map) |
Alabama |
| Tennessee (on map) |
Alabama |
| The Union |
Oregon |
| Tombigbee River (on map) |
Alabama |
| Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono |
Hawaii |
| Under God the people rule |
South Dakota |
| Union |
Louisiana |
| United We Stand Divided We Fall |
Kentucky |
| Vermont |
Vermont |
| Virtue |
Pennsylvania |
| Wisdon |
Georgia |
| XVI |
Tennessee |