Great Seal of the State of New York | |
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Armiger | State of New York |
Adopted | 1882 |
Supporters | Liberty and Justice |
Motto | Excelsior, E Pluribus Unum |
Earlier version(s) | |
Use | Former Seal of New York used in 1901 until 2020 |
Coat of arms of the State of New York | |
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Versions | |
Armiger | State of New York |
Adopted | 1778 |
Supporters | Liberty and Justice |
Motto | Excelsior, E Pluribus Unum |
Earlier version(s) | |
Use | Coat of Arms of New York used in 1896 until addition of second motto in 2020 |
The state seal of New York features the state arms (officially adopted in 1778) surrounded by the words "The Great Seal of the State of New York". A banner below shows the New York State motto Excelsior, Latin for "Ever Upward", and the secondary motto E Pluribus Unum, Latin for "Out of Many, One"—adopted in 2020.[1][2]
Allegorical figures of Liberty (left) and Justice (right) support the shield and an American eagle spreads its wings above on a world globe. Liberty's left foot treads on a crown, a symbol of freedom from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and holds a staff topped with a Phrygian Cap, a symbol of freedom and the pursuit of liberty. Justice is blindfolded and holds a sword in one hand and a scale in the other, symbolizing impartiality and fairness.
The center shield displays a masted ship and a sloop on the Hudson River (symbols of inland and foreign commerce) bordered by a grassy shore and a mountain range with the sun rising behind it.