Office of the Administrator
Seal and Symbols
Inscription
Serving the Republic Since 1789, Effective Retroactively
The inscription records continuous service from 1789. The Bureau's published founding is 1908. The Bureau has determined that the two figures describe the same period of service under different conventions, and that the difference is a matter of formatting.
Elements
- The ledger. A ruled record book, open. The Bureau's work is filing, and the emblem says so.
- The column. The ledger's spine is a classical civic column. Authority and stationery are the same object.
- The reverse arrow. A single arrow pressed flat into the open page, pointing backward, terminating in an approval mark. The past is being brought into agreement with the box that has already been checked.
- The laurel. Fragments only. A complete laurel would imply a concluded achievement, and the Bureau's achievement is ongoing by design.
- The double ring. The outer ring carries the name. The inner ring carries nothing, and is retained.
Colours
| Element | Colour | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Field | Deep midnight navy | Authority, and the majority of the impression. |
| Rule and lettering | Muted antique brass | Inscription, borders, and the approval mark. |
| Page | Warm ivory | The record itself. Never inverted. |
The page is ivory in every reproduction, including reproductions in which the surrounding material is dark. A record is read on paper. This is a publication standard rather than a preference.
Reproduction
- Reproduce the seal in full. The emblem may not be used without the ring.
- Do not rotate, distress, or place the seal on a background that reduces the legibility of the inscription.
- Do not use the seal to indicate that a document is approved. Approval is indicated by a stamp, not a seal.
- Do not apply the seal to material intended to be mistaken for a record of a real government. See the fictional records policy.
Stamps
The Bureau maintains numbered stamps. Stamp 12 reads THIS MATTER HAS ALWAYS BEEN CLOSED. The earliest known impression of Stamp 12 predates the vulcanisation of rubber. The Office of Field Support has confirmed the stamp was procured in 1974.
This matter has always been closed
The event continues to have occurred.