[3] In 1778, the Second Continental Congress named John Witherspoon, Gouverneur Morris and Richard Henry Lee to design seals for the Treasury and the Navy.

He is known to have later submitted bills to the Congress in 1780 seeking payment for his design of flags, currency, and several seals, including one for the Board of Treasury.

[2] In addition to the elements still found on the current seal, the original featured more ornamentation and the Latin inscription THESAUR.

After nearly 200 years, Treasury Secretary Henry H. Fowler approved a new, simplified version of the seal on January 29, 1968.

Similarly, special Silver Certificates were issued for use by U.S. troops during the invasion of North Africa in November 1942.

These notes had a distinctive yellow treasury seal, which would again allow them to be declared worthless if large amounts fell into enemy hands.

It has long disappeared from Treasury documents, but the original plate of the seal is on deposit at the United States Government Printing Office.

Lying beside the strongbox is a capable looking watchdog, with his left front paw securely clasping a large key.

The United States Mint did in fact own a real watchdog named Nero, who was originally purchased in 1793 for $3 and accompanied the night watchman on his rounds.

Treasury documents record further expenditures for Nero and successor watchdogs over the following twenty-five years, and currently Sherman.

According to department legend, Nero is the canine depicted on the seal, and may have been the origin (or at least the inspiration) of the term "Watchdog of the Treasury".

In its claws the eagle holds another scroll containing the year of the Department's creation "1789" in white.The shield background is yellow with brown outlines and yellow-orange shadows.