NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM

NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM: What does this mean?

The motto has been traced to Virgil, the renowned Roman poet who lived in the first century B.C. – to a line in his Eclogue IV, the pastoral poem that expresses the longing of the world for a new era of peace and happiness.

"Magnus ab integro seclorum nascitur ordo."

Virgil's line has been translated in different ways, including:
The great series of ages begins anew.
The ages' mighty march begins anew.
A mighty order of ages is born anew.
The majestic roll of circling centuries begins anew.

"Novus" means: new, young, fresh, novel.

"Ordo" means: series, row, order.

"Seclorum, a shortened form of seculorum (sæculorum), is the plural of seculum (sæculum), means: generations, centuries, or ages.

Thomson, a Latin expert, coined the motto: "novus ordo seclorum"
and explained its meaning: "The date underneath [the pyramid] is that of the Declaration of Independence and the words under it signify the beginning of the new American Era, which commences from that date."

The official English translation of "novus ordo seclorum" is:

"A new order of the ages"

NOTE: "Novus ordo seclorum" was not intended to mean (nor does it correctly translate into) "new world order." Seclorum is plural (new worlds order?). And Thomson said the motto refers to the beginning of a new age – an American era beginning in 1776. The pyramid's rising rows of construction help illustrate this new series of generations.

Thus together, the words signified the beginning of the new American Era commencing from that date seen at the base of the Pyramid.

Castings for seals were done in 1782 and 1841 but in 1883 the reverse was officially rejected by a committee headed by Professor Elliot Norton of Harvard University who said unequivocally that it was a dull emblem of the Masonic fraternity. It was never cut! Further more it was never really seen until 1935 when it appeared on the dollar bill.

Extract from http://www.freemasons-freemasonry.com/masonic_dollar.html