The territory south of Lake Erie was visited in the the second half of the 17th century for the first time by french trappers. Afterwards it was considered to be a part of Nouvelle France but it was continually penetrated from Pennsylvania and Virginia.

To make an end to that eglish intrusion Pierre Joseph de Celaron de Blainville went out in 1749 to  mark  the border  - On reaching the Allegheny River on 15 June 1749, he buried the first of a series of engraved lead plates claiming the land for France and attached a plaque with the royal arms to a tree. At the end of August, he buried the last of his lead plates at the mouth of the Rivière à la Roche (Great Miami River).

That is in English:

In the year 1749, of the reign of Louis the 15th, King of France, we Céloron, commander of a detachment sent by Monsieur the Marquis de la Galissoniere, Governor General of New France, to reestablish tranquility in some Indian villages of these cantons, have buried this Plate of Lead at the confluence of the Ohio and the Chadakoin, this 29th day of July, near the river Ohio, otherwise Belle Riviere, as a monument of the renewal of the possession we have taken of the said river Ohio and of all those which empty into it, and of all the lands on both sides as far as the sources of the said rivers, as enjoyed or ought to have been enjoyed by the kings of France preceding and as they have there maintained themselves by arms and by treaties, especially those of Ryswick, Utrecht and Aix-la-Chapelle

The same year the Ohio Company was founded in Virginia by prominent Virginia and Maryland planters which should have its territory between Lake Erie an the river Ohio.

In December 1750 a coat of arms was adoptedfor use on a seal.

Achievement  adopted by the committee of the company,

for use on a seal. .December 1750

Arms: Three stags reguardant, 2 and 1

Crest: On a helmet to the dexter, a beaver.

Supporters: Two men of different tribes the dexter armed with a rifle, the sinister armed with abow and arrows

Motto: “pax et Commercia” (Peace aned Commerce)

The acrivities of te Company gave rise to the french and indian wars, ending with a treaty in 1763 by which France ceded its territories east of the Mississippi and south of the Great Lakes to England

At the Peace of Paris of 1783 Ohio was also ceded by the English to the United States. It came to belong to the Northwest Territory. A second Company was founded: the Ohio Company of Associates, aiming to obtain land for the veterans of the Was of Independence. The resitance of the Indians against these colonists was broken at the battle of Fallen Timbers (1794). At the treaty of Greenville of 3 August 1795 they ceded the largest part of their rights on the land. In 1803, mainly by the fanaticism of the Ohio Company, Ohio was split off from the Northwest Territory and admitted to the Union as the 17th state. 

The Territorial seal

Seal of the Territory of the United States Northwest of the River Ohio

Before Ohio's statehood, the territorial government of the Northwest Territory had its own seal. The United States Congress passed legislation on May 8, 1792, that directed the U.S. Secretary of State to "provide proper seals for the several and respective public offices in the [Northwest] Territories". A seal was created by the State Department to be used on official papers of the territory. The original seal was maintained by Governor Arthur St. Clair. Its first recorded use was in a proclamation made on July 26, 1788. [1] The seal bears a Latin inscription, MELIOREM LAPSA LOCAVIT, "He has planted one better than the one fallen," commemorating the decline of wilderness to make way for civilization [2]

The Great Seal of the State of Ohio

The first Ohio Constitution of 1802, Article II, section 14, adopted on 29 November 1802, and effective 1 March 1803, provided for a state seal but left the details unspecified:

There shall be a seal of this State, which shall be kept by the Governor and used by him officially, and shall be called "The great Seal of the State of Ohio."

The first Secretary of State, William Creighton, Jr (03.1803-12.1808)., initially used his personal seal on official documents [3]

Shortly after its establishment in 1803, the state adopted a seal based on a sketch by Secretary of State William Creighton, Jr.

On March 25, 1803, the General Assembly passed an act concerning the duties of the Secretary of State, introducing the first of many designs for the state seal, based on a sketch by Creighton:

That the secretary of state shall procure a seal, two inches in diameter, for the use of the state; a seal of the supreme court, for each clerk thereof that may be appointed, of one inch and three-fourths in diameter; and also one other seal, one inch and a half diameter, for the use of each and every county now or hereafter to be created; on which seals shall be engraved the following device: On the right side, near the bottom, a sheaf of wheat, and on the left a bundle of seventeen arrows, both standing erect, in the back ground, and rising above the sheaf and arrows a mountain, over which shall appear a rising sun. The state seal to be surrounded with these words, "The great seal of the state of Ohio." The seal of the supreme court, with these words: "The supreme court of the state of Ohio;" and the county seal with these words, "Common pleas of the county of _____," the expense of said seals to be audited by the auditor and paid out of the state treasury.

1803 seal used by Governor Tiffin (1803-‘07)

Seal of 25 March 1803 (reconstruction)

On February 19, 1805, the 1803 statute was replaced with identical wording, except for the omission of a design for the great seal. The original state seal had long since fallen out of use.[15] [4]  Despite the 1805 act being itself repealed on January 31, 1831, no replacement design was specified.[8] [5]

In the meantime, a wide array of designs emerged, [6] particularly on court seals. Common embellishments included a plow and recumbent sheath of wheat, a range of mountains instead of a single peak (as in the Creighton seal), and an "ark" (a broad horn flatboat with a roof) floating on a river (understood to be the Ohio River, quite a distance from Chillicothe).[17][18] The 1847 seal depicted in the Statehouse rotunda skylight substitutes the Ohio with a canal, replete with a canal boat. In an 1860s version, the arrows levitate among the clouds. Besides artistic liberty, some seals reflected confusion over the state's founding year, which was popularly believed to be 1802, the year the original constitution was adopted.[5]

Ohio's state seal has been redesigned at least ten times in the state's history.[4] [7] From 1805 to 1866, the seal's design was left unspecified, a situation unique among the states.[5] [8]

1840 unofficial

An 1847 seal was placed in the 1861 Ohio Statehouse's rotunda skylight,

 removed in the 1920s, and restored in 1995

An unofficial 1860s coat of arms

shows the arrows flying high above the canal.

Except for a brief period during the 1860s, the layout and details were left largely unregulated until a standardized coat of arms, based on the original design, was introduced in 1867.

An illustration of the 1866.04.06 seal and arms.

The engraver omitted many of the embellishments but did include the motto IMPERIUM IN IMPERIO.

In 1865, Secretary of State William Henry Smith issued a report on the need to reign in the seal's design. Though appreciative of the symbolism behind the 1803 design, he found the state's 2-inch (51 mm) seal to compare unfavorably to other states' larger, more ornate seals, which also featured mottoes and obverse designs. On April 6, 1866, a Republican General Assembly responded, calling for an elaborate coat of arms:

That the coat of arms of the state of Ohio shall consist of the following device: A shield, upon which shall be engraved on the left, in the foreground, a bundle of 17 arrows; to the right of the arrows, a sheaf of wheat; both standing erect; in the background, and rising above the sheaf and arrows, a range of mountains and the arrows and sheaf, in the left foreground, a river shall be represented flowing toward the right foreground; supporting the shield, on the right, shall be the figure of a farmer, with implements of agriculture, and sheafs of wheat standing erect and recumbent; and in the distance, a locomotive and train of cars; supporting the shield, on the left, shall be the figure of a smith with anvil and hammer; and in the distance, water, with a steamboat; at the bottom of the shield there shall be a motto, in these words: "IMPERIUM IN IMPERIO." (State within a State)

The Republicans' new motto was problematic, as it ironically recalled states' rights ust after the Civil War. Moreover, the increased size, intricate design, and additional seals more than exhausted the $1,000 that had been appropriated to the Secretary of State. An even larger budget overrun would have resulted from an amendment on 16 April 1867.

The Acts read:

“’Sec. 15. The coat of arms of the State of Ohio shall consist of the following device: A shield, in form a circle. On it, in the foreground on the right, a sheaf of wheat; on the left a bundle of seventeen arrows, both standing erect; in the background and rising above the sheaf and arrows a mountain range, over which shall appear a riding sun.

“’Sec 16. All official seals shall have engraved thereon the coat of arms of the State, as described in the preceding section. The  great seal of the State shall be two and onehalf inches in diameter, and shall be surrounded by these words: The great seal of the State of Ohio.”’”[9]

The great seal of 1867.04.16

A very similar design was used by the Governor's office in 1902.[8]

On 9 May 1868, a newly elected Democratic General Assembly reverted to the 1803 coat of arms and formalized the depiction of a mountain range, present since Creighton's seal. The river remained in contemporary depiction. The 1866 device persisted in various capacities for decades. To the dismay of one historian, the Governor, Secretary of State, and Supreme Court all continued to seal documents with the 1866 device into the 1880s. The State Printer also published books featuring the old seal and motto into the 1900s.

The state seal of 1868.05.09

1902 illustration

1965 official painting A

On 15 December 1967, the coat of arms received a substantial revision. Cincinnati-based interior decorator Robert Greiwe had been commissioned to paint the Great Seal on the dropped ceiling of the Ohio Statehouse rotunda. His uncertainty over which version to paint led State Representatives Ralph B. Kohnen and Myrl Shoemaker to sponsor 107 HB 164, which standardized a specific design throughout state government.The river was reintroduced to the coat of arms, while seventeen distinct rays of sunlight extended to the perimeter of the coat of arms. Now the scene officially depicted the view from Adena. A reference image was for the first time included in the statute:

 The coat of arms of the state shall consist of the following device: a circular shield; in the right foreground of the shield a full sheaf of wheat bound and standing erect; in the left foreground, a cluster of seventeen arrows bound in the center and resembling in form the sheaf of wheat; in the background, a representation of Mount Logan, Ross county, as viewed from Adena state memorial; over the mount, a rising sun three-quarters exposed and radiating seventeen rays, the exterior extremities of which form a semicircle; and uniting the background and foreground, a representation of the Scioto river and cultivated fields. The coat of arms of the state shall correspond substantially with the following design:

1967-1996  official

A color reproduction of the 1967–1996 seal

The latest modification, on 20 November, 1996, reduced the number of rays from 17 to 13, "to represent the thirteen original colonies shining over the first state in the northwest territory.

Ohio Rev. Code

§5.04 State coat of arms.

The coat of arms of the state shall consist of the following device: a circular shield; in the right foreground of the shield a full sheaf of wheat bound and standing erect; in the left foreground, a cluster of seventeen arrows bound in the center and resembling in form the sheaf of wheat; in the background, a representation of Mount Logan, Ross county, as viewed from Adena state memorial; over the mount, a rising sun three-quarters exposed and radiating thirteen rays to represent the thirteen original colonies shining over the first state in the northwest territory, the exterior extremities of which rays form a semicircle; and uniting the background and foreground, a representation of the Scioto river and cultivated fields.

The coat of arms of the state shall correspond substantially with the following design:

When the coat of arms of the state is reproduced in color, the colors used shall be substantially the same as the natural color of the terrain and objects shown.

Effective Date: 20 November 1996 .

Ohio Rev. Code

§5.10 State seal.

All official seals shall have engraved thereon the coat of arms of the state, as described in section 5.04 of the Revised Code.

The great seal of the state shall be two and one-half inches in diameter and shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle having a diameter of one and three-fourths inches, surrounded by the words "THE GREAT SEAL OF THE STATE OF OHIO" in news gothic capitals. The great seal of the state shall correspond substantially with the following design:

The design of the great seal shall not be reproduced, except as required by any provision of the Ohio Constitution and the Revised Code, unless permission to do so is first obtained from the governor. The governor may authorize reproduction of the design of the great seal when the purpose is to:

(A) Permit publication of a reproduction of the great seal of the state of Ohio;

(B) Aid educational or historical programs;

(C) Promote the economic or cultural development of the state in a manner deemed appropriate by the governor.

A permanent record shall be kept in the governor's office of each permit to reproduce the design of the great seal.

No person shall use or permit to be used any reproduction or facsimile of the great seal or a counterfeit or nonofficial version of the great seal for any purpose not authorized by the governor.

The seal of the supreme court shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle one and one-half inches in diameter and shall be surrounded by the words "THE SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF OHIO."

The seal of each court of appeals, court of common pleas, and probate court shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle one and one-fourth inches in diameter, and each seal shall be surrounded by the words "COURT OF APPEALS, ................ County, Ohio"; "COMMON PLEAS COURT, ................ County, Ohio"; or "PROBATE COURT, ................ County, Ohio."

(Insert the name of the proper county.)

The seals of all other courts of record shall be of the same size as the seal of the court of common pleas, and each shall be surrounded by the proper name of the court.

The seal of the secretary of state shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle one and one-fourth inches in diameter and shall be surrounded by the words "THE SEAL OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF OHIO."

The seal of the auditor of state shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle of one and one-fourth inches in diameter, and shall be surrounded by the words "THE SEAL OF THE AUDITOR OF STATE OF OHIO."

The seal of the treasurer of state shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle one and one-fourth inches in diameter, and shall be surrounded by the words "THE SEAL OF THE TREASURER OF STATE OF OHIO."

The seal of the lieutenant governor shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle one and one-fourth inches in diameter and shall be surrounded by the words "THE SEAL OF THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF STATE OF OHIO."

The seal of the attorney general shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle one and one-fourth inches in diameter and shall be surrounded by the words "THE SEAL OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF STATE OF OHIO."

The seal of each benevolent institution shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle one and one-fourth inches in diameter and shall be surrounded by the proper name of the institution.

The seals of all other state, county, and municipal agencies, divisions, boards and commissions shall consist of the coat of arms of the state within a circle one and one-fourth inches in diameter and shall be surrounded by the proper name of the office.

All seals mentioned in this section shall contain the words and devices mentioned in this section and no other.

Effective Date: 20 November 1996.

Present Seal, 1996

Governor

Police

Cap Badge

Badge

Sleeve patch

Ohio Army National Guard

Crest.

Description: That for regiments and separate battalions of the Ohio Army National Guard: From a wreath of colors, a sheaf of seventeen arrows Argent bound by a sprig of buckeye (aesculus glabra) fructed Proper (two leaves with bursting burr).

Symbolism: Ohio, known as the Buckeye State, was the seventeenth state admitted to the Union and the sheaf of seventeen arrows appears on the great seal of the State.

Background: The crest for color bearing organizations of the State of Ohio was approved on 10 April 1923. It was amended to correct the wording of the description on 3 January 1924.

Distinctive Unit Insignia.

Description: A gold and silver color metal and enamel device 2.62 cm in height overall consisting of a green pentagon, one point up, bearing the crest for the Army National Guard of the State of Ohio: On a white and red wreath in front of a bunch of silver arrows a red buckeye with green husk and leaves.

Symbolism: The design of the distinctive unit insignia is based on the crest for the Army National Guard of the State of Ohio.

Background: The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved for State Staff Corps and Departments, Ohio National Guard on 16 May 1929. It was redesignated for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment and noncolor bearing units of the Ohio Army National Guard on 31 July 1970. The insignia was redesignated effective 31 March 1983, for Headquarters, State Area Command, Ohio Army National Guard.

Shoulder Sleeve Insignia.

Description: On a blue triangular background, one point down, with a 0.16 cm white border and a .48 cm red border, the whole 6.35 cm wide and 7.62 cm high, a white disc 2.22 cm in diameter charged with a red disc 1.59 cm in diameter, above a white star 1.11 cm  in diameter.

Symbolism: The design of the shoulder sleeve insignia is based on the Ohio State Flag.

Background: The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, Ohio National Guard on 30 November 1968. It was amended to include a symbolism on 7 May 1974. The insignia was redesignated for Headquarters, State Area Command, Ohio Army National Guard on 30 December 1983.