MAGIC WORDS E Pluribus Unum Meanings: • "From many, one"; unity out of diversity Origins: E Pluribus Unum is a Latin phrase from a poem attributed to Virgil. Facts: The evil magician in Doug Henning's musical The Magic Show (1981) uses the magic phrase E Pluribus Unum while producing wine bottles. E Pluribus Unum is the name of a coin gimmick developed by magician Timothy Wenk. E Pluribus Unum is included in the Great Seal of the United States, the words held in the eagle's beak. Common Magician's Applications: Dollar bill restorations. For example, the magician explains, "There is a motto printed on every dollar bill. It's an old Latin phrase -- a magic spell of sorts. It says, E pluribus unum. 'Out of many, one.' Out of many torn pieces . . . comes a single dollar bill!" In Literature: • E Pluribus Unum is a wizard's incantation in Harvard Lampoon's Bored of the Rings (1969). Figure 20. E pluribus unum appears on a scroll held by the eagle on the Great Seal of the United States. Image courtesy of the U.S. Government Printing Office (2002).