The state seal of New York features the state arms surrounded by the words "The Great Seal of the State of New York". A banner below shows the New York State motto , Latin for "Ever Upward", and the secondary motto E Pluribus Unum, Latin for "Out of Many, One"—adopted in 2020. Allegorical figures of Liberty and Justice 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 bordered by a grassy shore and a mountain range with the sun rising behind it.
History
The first seal of New York was created by a committee appointed April 15, 1777, with the intent that it be used "for all the purposes for which the Crown Seal was used under the Colony." On the front of the seal there is an image of a rising sun with the motto "Excelsior" and the legend "The Great Seal of the State of New York." On the back is an image of a rock in the ocean, with the legend "Frustra." The first seal was formally established by chapter 112 of the Laws of 1778, with some modifications in 1798 and 1809. There were apparently some informal variations over time as well, which led to the formation of a commission, in 1880, to determine the "exact description of the arms established in 1778." The commission's conclusions, which were reported to the New York Legislature in 1881 and included "a description of the arms in language such as might be sufficient for the exact arms of the state to be constructed," resulted in the fourth version of the seal, established by chapter 190 of the laws of 1881. In April 2020, New York passed a state budget which included a modification to the state arms: E Pluribus Unum is to be appended to the existing motto.
