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. 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. (Source: Wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA)