Coat of Arms
| Coat of arms of the State of Delaware | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Armiger | State of Delaware |
| Adopted | January 17, 1777 |
| Motto | Liberty and Independence |
At the center of the coat of arms is a shield of horizontal red, blue and white stripes. On the red stripe is hay and a cob of corn. On the white stripe is an ox standing on grass. Above the shield is a sailing ship. Supporting the shield are a farmer on the left and a militiaman on the right. Underneath the shield is the state motto.
- The sheaf of wheat is taken from the Sussex County seal and signifies the agricultural vitality of the state.
- The ear of corn was taken from the Kent County seal and symbolizes the agricultural basis of the state's economy.
- The blue stripe, above the ox, represents the Delaware River, the main stay of the state's commerce and transportation.
- The ox represents the importance of animal husbandry to the state's economy.
- The ship is a symbol of New Castle County's ship building industry and the state's extensive coastal commerce.
- The farmer with the hoe represents the central role of farming to the state.
- The soldier, a militiaman with his musket, recognizes the crucial role of the citizen-soldier to the maintenance of American liberties.
- The motto "Liberty and Independence" was provided by the Order of the Cincinnati, a hereditary organization of American Revolutionary War officers, formed in 1783.
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