This historical depiction of the
coat of arms of Delaware was illustrated by American engraver Henry Mitchell in
State Arms of the Union, published in 1876 by
Louis Prang. A
Mid-Atlantic state,
Delaware ratified the
Constitution of the United States on December 7, 1787, becoming the first state to do so. The shield depicts a wheat sheaf, a corn cob and an ox, representing the importance of agriculture to the state's economy, with the blue horizontal stripe referring to the
Delaware River. The ship in the
crest is a symbol of the state's extensive coastal commerce, while the shield's
supporters are a farmer with a hoe (again representing the central role of farming to the state) and a militiaman (recognizing the crucial role of the citizen-soldier to the maintenance of American liberties). The motto,
Liberty and independence, was provided by the
Society of the Cincinnati.
Illustration credit: Henry Mitchell; restored by Andrew Shiva