Saturday 16 July 2016

Flag Company Inc The Flag Of New Jersey

By Will Scott


In 1780, during the Revolutionary war, General George Washington directed that the regiments of the New Jersey Continental Line have a flag of dark blue and buff. He presumably selected these colors for historic reasons - New York and New Jersey were both originally settled by the Dutch - dark blue (Jersey blue) and buff were Holland's (the Netherlands) insignia. The center of the flag features the great seal of New Jersey.

The color is based on the facings of uniforms worn by New Jersey regiments during the Revolutionary War (1775-83). Like the other original states, New Jersey had its colors assigned in a directive of October 2, 1779, by George Washington, then commander in chief of the Continental Army.

The crest above the helmet is a horse's head (the horse is also New Jersey's official state animal). The supporting female figures are Liberty and Ceres (Roman goddess of grain - a symbol of abundance). Liberty carries the liberty cap on her staff and Ceres holds a cornucopia filled with harvested produce.

The coat of arms appears in the center of the New Jersey flag and is also found in the state seal. It may have been designed by Francis Hopkinson, who was a member of the Continental Congress, or by the artist Pierre Eugène du Simitière before being adopted by the state legislature on October 3, 1776.

Thus the fertility of the state is depicted through these symbolic figures. Below them is a ribbon, gloriously displaying the state motto "Liberty and Prosperity" and the year 1776, when the state gained independence. Above the figures, is a knight's helmet, a horse's head, with blue filigree decorating it. The New Jersey Flag makes interesting use of goddesses to denote the prosperity of the state.

There is a barrage of cheap and inferior New Jersey flags being imported and sold, that do not comply with the flag statute. This is bad for a number of reasons. Imported flags are cheaply made and inferior to American-made New Jersey flags, but more importantly, the designs, materials, colors, and methods of printing do not compare well with the better quality, longer-lasting, and correctly designed flags made by American manufacturers. The Flag Company Inc specialized in flag designs offered a special edition of decals and flags to memorize the history of New Jersey flag for the future.




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