Flag of New York

Flag of New York

Use	Civil and state flag
Variant flag of New York
Name	Flag of the Governor of New York

The flag of the state of New York is the state's coat of arms on a blue background. It depicts two supporters:

• Left: Liberty, with the Revolutionary imagery of a Phrygian cap raised on a pole. Her left foot treads upon a crown that represents freedom from the British monarchy that once ruled what is now New York as a colony.
• Right: blindfolded Justice, with scales and sword.

The unheraldic nature of the Hudson River landscape reveals the modern origin of the coat-of-arms. The crest is an eagle surmounting a world globe. The two ships represent inland and foreign commerce, both of which are important for the state of New York.

The motto Excelsior is a Latin word meaning "higher", "superior", "lordly", and is commonly translated as "Ever Upward.".

Blazon

The official blazon for the coat of arms is:

Charge. Azure, in a landscape, the sun in fess, rising in splendor or, behind a range of three mountains, the middle one the highest; in base a ship and sloop under sail, passing and about to meet on a river, bordered below by a grassy shore fringed with shrubs, all proper.

Crest. On a wreath azure and or, an American eagle proper, rising to the dexter from a two-thirds of a globe terrestrial, showing the north Atlantic ocean with outlines of its shores.

Supporters. On a quasi compartment formed by the extension of the scroll.

Dexter. The figure of Liberty proper, her hair disheveled and decorated with pearls, vested azure, sandaled gules, about the waist a cincture or, fringed gules, a mantle of the last depending from the shoulders behind to the feet, in the dexter hand a staff ensigned with a Phrygian cap or, the sinister arm embowed, the hand supporting the shield at the dexter chief point, a royal crown by her sinister foot dejected.

Sinister. The figure of Justice proper, her hair disheveled and decorated with pearls, vested or, about the waist a cincture azure, fringed gules, sandaled and mantled as Liberty, bound about the eyes with a fillet proper, in the dexter hand a straight sword hilted or, erect, resting on the sinister chief point of the shield, the sinister arm embowed, holding before her her scales proper.

Motto. On a scroll below the shield argent, in sable, Excelsior.

State flag of 1779-1901

The New York state flag flying at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

History and Evolution

The coat of arms of the state flag was adopted in 1778 and the present flag is a modern version of a Revolutionary War flag. The original is at the Albany Institute of History & Art.

The legislature changed the field from buff to blue by a law enacted on April 2, 1901.^[1]

In 2001, the North American Vexillological Association surveyed its members on the designs of the 72 U.S. state, U.S. territorial and Canadian provincial flags. After the survey was completed, NAVA members chose the flag of New York to be ranked 53rd out of the 72.^[2]

See also

New York portal

• State of New York
• Symbols of the state of New York
• Great Seal of the State of New York
• Flags of the Governors of the U.S. States

References

1. ^ New York (U.S.)
2. ^ http://www.nava.org/Flag%20Design/State&Provincial%20Survey%202001/surveyresults.htm

External links

• New York State Flag