The flag of the state of New York Standard 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.". Contents 1 Blazon 2 History and Evolution 3 See also 4 References 5 External links 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 and 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 References New York (U.S.) http://www.nava.org/Flag%20Design/State&Provincial%20Survey%202001/surveyresults.htm External links New York State Flag v d eFlags of the US states federal district and insular areas States Alabama  Alaska  Arizona  Arkansas  California  Colorado  Connecticut  Delaware  Florida  Georgia  Hawaii  Idaho  Illinois  Indiana  Iowa  Kansas  Kentucky  Louisiana  Maine  Maryland  Massachusetts  Michigan  Minnesota  Mississippi  Missouri  Montana  Nebraska  Nevada  New Hampshire  New Jersey  New Mexico  New York  North Carolina  North Dakota  Ohio  Oklahoma  Oregon  Pennsylvania  Rhode Island  South Carolina  South Dakota  Tennessee  Texas  Utah  Vermont  Virginia  Washington  West Virginia  Wisconsin  Wyoming Federal district Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) Insular areas American Samoa  Guam  Northern Mariana Islands  Puerto Rico   U.S. Virgin Islands Book:Flags of the U.S. states   Category:United States state flags   Portal:Heraldry v d e State of New York Albany (capital)  The Empire State Topics Administrative divisions  Bibliography  Congressional districts  Constitution  Demographics  Economy  Education  Elections  Geography  Government (Governor Legislature Court System)  History  Symbols  People  Politics  Transportation  Visitor Attractions Regions Adirondack Mountains  Allegheny Plateau  Capital District  Catskill Mountains  Central Region (formerly Central-Leatherstocking)  Central New York  Champlain Valley  City of New York  Finger Lakes  Holland Purchase  Hudson Highlands  Hudson Valley  Long Island  Mohawk Valley  New York Metro  Niagara Frontier  North Country  Ridge and Valley  Saint Lawrence Seaway  Shawangunks  Ski country  Southern Tier  Southtowns  Tech Valley  Thousand Islands  Upstate  Western Metro areas Albany / Schenectady / Troy  Binghamton  Buffalo / Niagara Falls  Elmira / Corning  Glens Falls  Ithaca  Jamestown  Newburgh / Middletown  New York City  Poughkeepsie  Rochester  Syracuse  Utica / Rome Counties Albany  Allegany  Bronx  Broome  Cattaraugus  Cayuga  Chautauqua  Chemung  Chenango  Clinton  Columbia  Cortland  Delaware  Dutchess  Erie  Essex  Franklin  Fulton  Genesee  Greene  Hamilton  Herkimer  Jefferson  Kings  Lewis  Livingston  Madison  Monroe  Montgomery  Nassau  New York  Niagara  Oneida  Onondaga  Ontario  Orange  Orleans  Oswego  Otsego  Putnam  Queens  Rensselaer  Richmond  Rockland  Saint Lawrence  Saratoga  Schenectady  Schoharie  Schuyler  Seneca  Steuben  Suffolk  Sullivan  Tioga  Tompkins  Ulster  Warren  Washington  Wayne  Westchester  Wyoming  Yates