Seal of New York (state)

Great Seal of the State of New York
Armiger	State of New York
Adopted	1882
Supporters	Liberty and Justice
Motto	Excelsior, E Pluribus Unum
Earlier version(s)
Use	Former Seal of New York used in 1901 until 2020

Coat of arms of the State of New York
Versions
Historical coat of arms, illustrated (1876)
Armiger	State of New York
Adopted	1778
Supporters	Liberty and Justice
Motto	Excelsior, E Pluribus Unum
Earlier version(s)
Use	Coat of Arms of New York used in 1896 until addition of second motto in 2020

The state seal of New York features the state arms (officially adopted in 1778) surrounded by the words "The Great Seal of the State of New York". A banner below shows the New York State motto Excelsior, Latin for "Ever Upward", and the secondary motto E Pluribus Unum, Latin for "Out of Many, One"—adopted in 2020.^[1][2]

Allegorical figures of Liberty (left) and Justice (right) support the shield and an American eagle spreads its wings above on a world globe. Liberty's left foot treads on a crown, a symbol of freedom from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and holds a staff topped with a Phrygian Cap, a symbol of freedom and the pursuit of liberty. Justice is blindfolded and holds a sword in one hand and a scale in the other, symbolizing impartiality and fairness.

The center shield displays a masted ship and a sloop on the Hudson River (symbols of inland and foreign commerce) bordered by a grassy shore and a mountain range with the sun rising behind it.