The Seal of Baltimore is the official government emblem of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The current seal was adopted for use in 1827. The seal is in the shape of an ellipse with the image of the Battle Monument featured in its centre. Around the inner edge of the ellipse are the words CITY OF BALTIMORE, while under the image of the Battle Monument is the year 1797, the year in which the city was first incorporated. Color versions of the seal are in black and gold, representative of the colors of the coat of arms of the Calvert family, a member of whom, Cecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, founded the colony of Maryland.