New Hampshire State Coat of Arms
New Hampshire State Coat of Arms
Official Coat Of Arms of New Hampshire
New Hampshire State Coat of Arms
- Adopted
- 1932
- Status
- Official state coat of arms
What Is the New Hampshire Coat of Arms?
New Hampshire does not have a separate heraldic coat of arms. The state uses the Great Seal of New Hampshire as its official emblem, and its central design functions as the coat of arms in official and heraldic contexts.
The design shows the frigate Raleigh sitting on shipbuilding stocks, as if still being built. A rising sun appears behind the ship. A granite boulder sits in the foreground on the left. A U.S. flag flies at the ship's stern.
A golden laurel wreath frames the entire scene. Nine stars are spaced evenly within the wreath. The date 1776 appears at the base, and the inscription reads 'SEAL OF THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.' The seal is 2 inches in diameter.
History and Origin of the New Hampshire Coat of Arms
New Hampshire's first official seal was created by the First Provincial Congress in 1774 or 1775. It featured a pine tree and an upright fish standing on either side of a bundle of five arrows, representing the state's five counties and their combined strength. This colonial design carried the Latin motto Vis Unita Fortior, meaning 'A united force is stronger.'
When New Hampshire's state constitution took effect in 1784, the Legislature revised the seal to reflect a different identity. Portsmouth had become one of the most active shipbuilding centers in the new nation during the Revolutionary War, and the revised design showed a ship under construction on its stocks with a rising sun behind it. That basic image has remained on the seal ever since.
The 1784 design had one serious problem: no one had described its details precisely enough. As old seals wore out and new dies were cut, different artists interpreted the scene in their own way. Over time, unauthorized elements appeared in the design. The most notable was rum barrels on the dock, which had no place in an official state emblem.
In 1931, historian Otis G. Hammond examined existing seal impressions and documented the inconsistencies. Governor John G. Winant formed a committee to produce a permanent standardized version. The committee identified the frigate Raleigh as the specific ship in the design, removed the rum barrels and other unauthorized additions, replaced the Latin inscription with English text, and specified the seal's exact diameter as 2 inches. The statute codifying the new design took effect on January 1, 1932.
Meaning of the New Hampshire Coat of Arms
The New Hampshire coat of arms connects two founding moments. The frigate Raleigh, built in 1776, represents the state's direct contribution to the Continental Navy and the American Revolution. The nine stars in the laurel wreath count New Hampshire's place as the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, the vote that put the document into effect. The granite boulder in the foreground reflects the physical landscape that shaped the state.
Symbols on the New Hampshire Coat of Arms
The New Hampshire coat of arms is built around the frigate Raleigh and the scene of its construction. Each element connects to either the Revolutionary War or the founding of the United States.
The Frigate Raleigh
The frigate Raleigh occupies the center of the design, shown on its building stocks as if still under construction. The ship was built in 1776 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and was one of the first 13 warships authorized by the Continental Congress for the new American navy.
Showing the Raleigh on its stocks rather than at sea was a deliberate choice. It places the image at the moment of construction, connecting the seal directly to New Hampshire's role in building the nation's first navy.
Nine Stars
Nine stars are spaced evenly through the laurel wreath. They represent New Hampshire's position as the ninth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, on June 21, 1788. New Hampshire's vote was the decisive one: nine of thirteen states were required for the Constitution to take effect, and New Hampshire was the ninth.
Laurel Wreath
A golden laurel wreath frames the entire scene, with the nine stars spaced within its leaves. According to official sources, the laurel wreath symbolizes fame, honor, and victory.
Granite Boulder
A granite boulder sits in the foreground on the left side of the design. New Hampshire is known as the Granite State, and granite is one of the defining physical features of its landscape. The official statute specifies only that the boulder appear; no symbolic meaning is defined in the law.
Rising Sun
A rising sun appears behind the Raleigh on the horizon, with roughly one-third of its disk visible above the horizon line. The official statute specifies the sun's position precisely but does not assign it a symbolic meaning in the law.
The Date 1776
The date 1776 appears at the base of the design, flanked by stars. It marks the year the Raleigh was built and the year the United States declared independence. The 1931 committee kept the date in the standardized design.
Meaning of the New Hampshire Coat of Arms
The coat of arms holds two specific founding moments. The frigate Raleigh and the date 1776 anchor the design to the Revolution, when New Hampshire contributed one of the first warships to the new nation's navy. The nine stars anchor it to 1788, when New Hampshire's ratification vote put the Constitution into effect.
The choice to show the Raleigh under construction rather than at sea is significant. It places New Hampshire in the act of building the nation, not just defending it. The granite boulder adds the physical landscape of New England to this founding history.
New Hampshire Coat of Arms Facts
Previous Versions of the New Hampshire Coat of Arms
The New Hampshire seal went through three distinct stages before the current design was standardized in 1932. Each stage reflected a different moment in the state's identity.
Colonial Seal
An early Revolutionary-era New Hampshire seal showing the colonial emblem with the Latin motto Vis Unita Fortior (a united force is stronger). This predates the ship-centered state seal design that followed independence.
Pre-Standard State Seal
A late pre-standard impression of the ship-centered seal derived from the 1784 redesign. Because the 1784 design was never described precisely enough, many artistic variations circulated before the 1931–1932 standardization removed unauthorized additions and fixed the details.
Official Standard
The standardized design that took effect January 1, 1932. It identified the ship as the frigate Raleigh, removed unauthorized additions, replaced Latin text with English, and fixed the seal's diameter at 2 inches. This is the design used in the article's main image and element crops.
Quick Answers
What does the New Hampshire coat of arms show?
When was the New Hampshire coat of arms adopted?
What do the nine stars mean on the New Hampshire coat of arms?
What is the frigate Raleigh?
Why were rum barrels on an earlier version of the New Hampshire seal?
What does the granite boulder represent?
Does New Hampshire have a separate coat of arms and state seal?
Sources
- Flag and Seal of New Hampshire — Wikipedia
- New Hampshire State Seal — Netstate
- Seal of New Hampshire — State Symbols USA
- Flag and Seal of New Hampshire — Kiddle
- Category:Coats of arms of New Hampshire — Wikimedia Commons
New Hampshire State Symbols
Show more (2)
Related States
Compare all 50 states by population, land area, statehood date, and more.
Themed lists - states sharing the same bird, oldest symbols, flags with bears, and more.
Side-by-side comparison of population, area, income, taxes, climate, and more.
Top 20 most common surnames per state - with origins, meanings, and heritage context. Is yours on the list?
You Might Also Like
Cost of Living by State 2026
Hawaii is the most expensive state with a cost of living index of 187. West Virginia is the cheapest at 83.6. See how all 50 states rank.
Gas Prices by State 2026
California has the highest gas prices in the country at $5.93/gal. Oklahoma and Kansas are consistently cheapest. See all 50 states ranked.
U.S. State Flags with Animals: Bears, Birds, Bison, and More
California's extinct grizzly, Wyoming's bison, Louisiana's pelican, and Oregon's reverse-side beaver show how animals appear on flags.
US State Flags Ranked by Number of Stars
Missouri's flag has the most stars: 24 gold in a circle. Indiana has 19, Alaska has 8 (Big Dipper). Full ranking by star count for all 50 state flags.
Alabama State Colors | Crimson White
Alabama has no separate official state colors; crimson and white come from the 1895 state flag. See color codes, history, and sources.
Colorado State Flag Colors | Blue White Red Gold
See Colorado's four state flag colors, what they mean, their legal status, and practical HEX, RGB, CMYK, and Pantone references.
Illinois Colors | Illini Blue and Orange
Illinois has no official state colors. See the University of Illinois blue and orange palette, exact color codes, history, and status.
Mississippi Flag Colors | Red Blue Gold
See Mississippi's red, blue, and gold New Magnolia flag colors, their meaning, legal status, and practical HEX, RGB, CMYK, and Pantone values.