e-ReferenceDesk's College and 50 State Learning Resource Guide

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State Symbols

The official state symbols represent the cultural heritage and natural treasures of each state or the entire United States

Massachusetts Symbols

Massachusetts Symbols

Beans, Berry, Beverage, Bird, Building & Monument Stone, Cat, Ceremonial March, Children's Author and Illustrator, Children's Book, Citizenry, Cookie, Dessert, Dog, Donut, Explorer Rock, Fish, Flag, Flower or Floral Emblem, Folk Dance, Folk Hero, Folk Song, Fossil, Fruit, Game Bird, Gem, Glee Club Song, Heroine, Historical Rock, Horse, Insect, Marine Mammal, Mineral, Motto, Muffin, Nicknames, Ode of the Commonwealth, Patriotic Song, Poem, Polka, Rock, Seal, Shell, Soil, Song, Tree, Veterans of Southwest, Asia War Monument, Vietnam War Memorial

Massachusetts State Shell

New England Neptune

(Neptuna lyrata decemcostata)

Adopted in 1987.

The New England Neptune (Neptuna lyrata decemcostata) was made the state shell in 1987.

In June, 1987, the Boston Malacological Club was successful in an effort to have the New England Neptune named the state shell. A few years ago, this club was involved in a ceremony at Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology for the issuance of five shell stamps depicting five shells found off the northeastern American shores. One of them was the New England Neptune.

New England Neptune Postage Stamp

Massachusetts Legislature
CHAPTER 2. ARMS, GREAT SEAL AND OTHER EMBLEMS OF THE COMMONWEALTH
Section 29 Shell of commonwealth
Section 29. The New England neptune (neptunea lyrata decemcostata) shall be the shell of the commonwealth.

State Symbols

State symbols represent things that are special to a particular state.

symbol \ˈsim-bəl\
noun

Etymology:
in sense 1, from Late Latin symbolum, from Late Greek symbolon, from Greek, token, sign; in other senses from Latin symbolum token, sign, symbol, from Greek symbolon, literally, token of identity verified by comparing its other half, from symballein to throw together, compare, from syn- + ballein to throw — more at devil
Date: 15th century

1: Something that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention, especially a material object used to represent something invisible.