Ed Miller, age 11, of Galveston, Tex., for his question:

WHAT DOES E PLURIBUS UNUM MEAN?

E pluribus unum is the Latin motto on the face of the Great Seal of the United States. This phrase means one out of many.

The phrase refers to the creation of one nation, the United States, out of 13 colonies. It is equally appropriate to today’s federal system.

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, members of the first committee for the selection of the Great Seal, suggested the motto in 1776.

E pluribus unum can be traced back to Horace’s Epistles.

Since 1873, the law requires that this motto appear on one side of every coin that is minted.

On the Great Seal is an eagle. In its mouth is a ribbon on which the phrase a pluribus unum is printed. The eagle also holds an olive branch and some arrows. The olive branch stands for the nation’s desire for peace and the arrows symbolize the ability of the United States to defend its security.