It also appears on presentation copies of Senate resolutions recognizing appointments, commendations, and notable achievements.

[1] It is illegal to use the Senate seal in any manner reasonably calculated to convey a false impression of sponsorship or approval by the Government of the United States.

One of these windows, on the Senate side of the Capitol, originally depicted an eagle with a shield and flags of the United States but it was accidentally destroyed in the 1960s.

The window was initially filled in with frosted glass, but was later replaced with a colorful design depicting the senate seal.

The seals symbolized Kennedy's career in the U.S. government, first as United States Attorney General and later as a senator from New York.

[2] When first meeting in Philadelphia in the 1790s, members of the early Senate admired the visually appealing Great Seal enough that they had it reproduced on a carpet woven for their chamber.

Six years later, the seal appeared on another impeachment summons, this time for Federal Judge John Pickering, and other documents during his trial.

A new seal was commissioned from Robert G. Lanphier Jr., a French artist, engraver and jeweler living in Washington D.C. at the time.

[2] This second design was inspired by the then-popular Greek and Roman models, depicting three female figures which symbolized liberty, justice, and power.

An eagle is above the figures, and twenty-four links of a chain bordering the seal represent the number of states then in the Union.

[2] The design has some similarities to Genius of America, the sculpture over the central east pediment of the Capitol building which had recently been completed.

Made by Luigi Persico from 1825 to 1828, it also features three female figures, representing America, Justice, and Hope.

Elements shared between the two designs include a July 4 pedestal, a scroll with a Constitution inscription, the scales of justice, and an eagle.

The second seal was used until 1880, when it was discovered "tucked away among some rubbish in one of the subterranean rooms of the Capitol" (apparently left there following heavy use during an 1876 impeachment trial).

[2] The 1876 United States Centennial renewed interest in national symbols, which eventually prompted a redesign of the Great Seal in 1885.

Even more commonly seen perhaps is a version of the Great Seal of the United States (which also depicts an eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch in its claws) surrounded by a similar inscription.

The manual suggests that senators who want to show a symbol of government on campaign material use a depiction of the United States Capitol dome.

[3] In 2005, Representative Duke Cunningham was found to be selling items on a personal web site which included the unofficial Congress seal, which were shortly thereafter discontinued.

The 1838 newspaper article includes a first-hand eyewitness account of its original installation in the Old Senate Chamber and attributes carving of the eagle and shield directly to Mr. Thomas C. Millard (1803–1870).

In 1976, long after the Supreme Court moved to their own building, the two pieces were reunited and placed back on the dais when the chamber was restored.

On November 17, 1954, the Vice-President of India, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, presented the assembled Senate with a replacement gavel, which is still in use today.