A mug of substance! This robust mug feels sturdy in your hand. Start the day off right with your morning beverage from this beauty. On one side is the Great Seal of the United States. The other displays this statement: “The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is America’s record keeper, ensuring access to the documents that explore the rights of American citizens and the unique stores that define our nation.” The scroll above the eagle of the Great Seal reads “Littera Scripta Manet”--“The written letter abides.”

The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the U.S. federal government. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself (which is kept by the U.S. Secretary of State) and for the design impressed upon it. The Great Seal was first used publicly in 1782.

The National Archives was established in 1934 by President Franklin Roosevelt, but its major holdings date back to 1775. They capture the sweep of the past: slave ship manifests and the Emancipation Proclamation; captured German records and the Japanese surrender documents from World War II; journals of polar expeditions and photographs of Dust Bowl farmers; Indian treaties making transitory promises; and a richly bound document bearing the bold signature "Bonaparte"—the Louisiana Purchase Treaty that doubled the territory of the young republic.

The National Archives keeps only those Federal records that are judged to have continuing value—about 2 to 5 percent of those generated in any given year. By now, they add up to a formidable number, diverse in form as well as in content. There are approximately 10 billion pages of textual records; 12 million maps, charts, and architectural and engineering drawings; 25 million still photographs and graphics; 24 million aerial photographs; 300,000 reels of motion picture film; 400,000 video and sound recordings; and 133 terabytes of electronic data. All these materials are preserved because they are important to the workings of government, have long-term research worth, or provide information of value to citizens.