The 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 in the background with the sun rising behind it.
The shield has two supporters:
Left: Liberty, with the Revolutionary imagery of a Phrygian cap raised on a pole. Her left foot treads upon a crown that represents freedom from the British monarchy that once ruled what is now New York as a colony.
Right: Justice, wearing a blindfold (representing impartiality) and holding scales (representing fairness) and a sword.
A banner below the shield shows the motto Excelsior, a Latin word commonly translated as “Ever Upward.”
The shield is surmounted by a crest consisting of an eagle surmounting a world globe.
State Nickname:
New York is nicknamed “The Empire State” for its national and global significance. Today people associate the nickname with the Empire State Building, but the nickname came first. The actual origin of New York’s nickname is unknown; some sources credit George Washington, who referred to New York State in December 1784 as “at present the seat of the Empire.”