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

New York Symbols

New York Symbols

Animal, Arms, Beverage, Bird, Freshwater Fish, Flag, Flower, Fossil, Fruit, Gem, Insect, Motto, Muffin, Nicknames, Saltwater Fish, Seal, Shell, Slogan, Song, Tree

New York State Arms

Arms of New York State

Adopted in 1978.

The Arms of New York State

was adopted in 1978.

The center shows a ship and sloop on a river bordered by a grassy shore and a mountain range with the sun rising behind it. Liberty and Justice stand on either side, under an American eagle.

Liberty holds a staff topped with a Phrygian cap, symbolic of the cap given to a Roman slave upon the formal act of emancipation and freedom. This cap was adopted by French revolutionists as a symbol of liberty, especially in the US before 1800.

The figure of Justice is blindfolded and carries a sword in one hand and scales in the other. These symbols represent the impartiality and fairness required for the assignment of a merited reward or punishment.

The banner shows the State motto--Excelsior--which means "Ever Upward."

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.