State Flag
The New Jersey State flag uses the official State colors. The seal is shown on a buff background and uses Jersey blue in several elements. The colors were chosen by General George Washington in 1779 after he was headquartered in New Jersey during the Revolutionary War. These were the military colors used by the New Jersey troops.
The State Seal is in the center of the flag. It was designed by Pierre Eugène Du Simitière and presented in May of 1777. The horse head stands for speed and strength. The helmet of a knight’s suit of armor faces forward representing sovereignty for a state that governs itself. Below the helmet is a shield with plows on it. The plows show the importance of agriculture to the state’s economic power.
State Seal
The female figures pictured in the State Seal are Liberty and Ceres. Liberty, on the left, carries the liberty cap on her staff. The liberty cap was worn as a symbol of rebellion by patriots in the colonies. Ceres, the Roman goddess of grain, is on the right. She holds a cornucopia filled with harvested produce, symbolizing abundance. Below them is a banner with the state’s motto, “Liberty and Prosperity.”