Justitia (Justice)

To delay justice is injustice.

The California ¼ Goldback features the virtue Justitia, who is the embodiment of justice. She raises the scales of justice, symbolizing fairness, balance, and the equal application of law. Under UV light, the artwork reveals water filling her scales to illustrate the continual effort required to uphold liberty and justice. In her other hand, she rests a gavel atop a stack of books, representing wisdom and the legal foundations of a just society. 

California’s state flower, the poppy, is woven into both the foreground and Justitia’s crown, connecting the virtue to the Golden State. California dogface butterflies, the state insect, flutter through the scene as symbols of transformation and renewal. In the background, Half Dome and El Capitan place the scene in Yosemite National Park. These recognizable landmarks showcase the grandeur and beauty for which California is known around the world. 

Justitia serves as a reminder that a just society depends on the steady application of law, wisdom, and fairness to all. Along the bottom, the inscription reads “To delay justice is injustice.”