New Jersey

Heraldry of the World Civic heraldry of the United States

NEW JERSEY

Origin/meaning :
The arms were officially adopted in 1928.

The whole arms obviously represent agriculture, the plough, the horse and the Roman Godess Ceres. Only the other supporter, Liberty, refers to the origin of the state, as does the date 1776. The motto alludes to the supporters.

The origin of the arms dates back to 1776. In September of that year the two houses of the legislature appointed a joint committee to recommend a design for a seal. On October 3, the committee reported back a proposal based on a coat of arms described as "three Ploughs in an Escutcheon; the Supporters, Liberty and Ceres, and the Crest, a Horse's Head."

Shortly thereafter, the new coat of arms began appearing in use. Early New Jersey copper coins, for example, show the horse's head crest, and the full arms appear on paper currency issued in 1781. The specific shades of colors, attitudes of the supporters, etc., varied according to the taste of the artist, as is encouraged by heraldic tradition. However, given the original law's lack of specificity with regard to tinctures, the arms were often shown with a white field in the early years, a variation that is emphatically not within heraldic tradition. Later blue became the most usual choice and the invariable one shortly after 1900. The 1928 law described the arms and colours in detail. The 1928 resolution also gave official sanction to the motto, which had first appeared in a representation of the arms on the 1821 edition of the state laws.

Seal of New Jerseay:

Literature: Background from http://americanheraldry.org/pages/index.php?n=State.NewJersey, seal from http://www.heraldryclipart.com