Coat of arms of New York

State of New York
UseCivil and state flag Small vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagSmall vexillological symbol or pictogram in black and white showing the different uses of the flagReverse side is mirror image of obverse side
Proportion1:2
AdoptedApril 2, 1901; 123 years ago (1901-04-02)
(modified in April 2020)
DesignA state coat of arms on a blue field.
Flag of the governor of New York
Proportion3:5
Coat of arms of the State of New York
Versions
Great Seal of the State of New York
ArmigerState of New York
Adopted1882, modified 1896, 1901, and 2020
CrestAn American eagle with wings displayed, surmounting a globe displaying the Atlantic hemisphere
ShieldAzure, in a landscape, the sun in fess, rising in splendor a river, bordered below by a grassy shore fringed with shrubs, all proper.
SupportersLiberty and Justice
MottoExcelsior
E Pluribus Unum

The coat of arms of the state of New York was formally adopted in 1778, and appears as a component of the state's flag and seal.

The 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 in the background with the smiling sun rising behind it. The unheraldic nature of the Hudson River landscape reveals the modern origin of the design.

The shield has two supporters:

A banner below the shield shows the motto Excelsior, a Latin word meaning "higher", "superior", "lordly", commonly translated as "Ever Upward." Following the adoption of the 2021 State Budget in April 2020, a secondary motto, E pluribus unum, appears.[1][2]

Flags bearing the pre-2020 coat of arms (i.e. without the motto E pluribus unum) are still widely used so long as serviceable.

The shield is surmounted by a crest consisting of an eagle surmounting a world globe.

The flag of New York is the coat of arms on a solid blue background and the state seal of New York is the coat of arms surrounded by the words "The Great Seal of the State of New York." It is one of nine U.S. state flags to feature an eagle, alongside those of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Wyoming.

  1. ^ Campbell, Jon (April 3, 2020). "10 things to know about New York's new $177B budget deal". Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
  2. ^ Chip, Rowe (October 3, 2020). "How They Voted". The Highlands Current. Retrieved October 6, 2020.