Pennsylvania State Flag

The Pennsylvania state flag serves as the official flag of the state of Pennsylvania. A blue field holds the state coat of arms at its center. The coat of arms features a shield supported by two black horses.

An American bald eagle sits on top of the shield. The shield displays three symbols: a ship, a plow, and three sheaves of wheat. An olive branch and cornstalk appear below the shield. A red ribbon bears the state motto Virtue, Liberty and Independence.

The Pennsylvania General Assembly authorized the use of the coat of arms on militia flags on April 9, 1799. Flags varied in design throughout the 1800s. The legislature standardized the flag on June 13, 1907. The blue field matches the blue in the United States flag.

The Pennsylvania state flag meaning comes from the symbols on the coat of arms. Each element represents an aspect of Pennsylvania's economy or values during the state's founding period and aligns with Pennsylvania's state motto.

The ship stands for commerce. The plow represents agriculture. The wheat sheaves show farming prosperity. Together these symbols reflect Pennsylvania's economic foundation in the late 1700s.

Pennsylvania created its state seal in 1777. The seal was officially adopted in 1791. The General Assembly authorized the use of the state coat of arms on flags for the state militia on April 9, 1799. The authorization did not specify exact colors or dimensions.

Various flag designs appeared throughout the nineteenth century. Some flags showed the coat of arms replacing the stars in the canton of the American flag. Others placed the arms alone on a blue field. The colors in the coat of arms changed in 1809. The color of the horses was not standardized until 1875.

In 1805, Danish painter Christian Gullage painted the state coat of arms on a blue banner. The banner measured four feet by two feet with gold fringe at the bottom. Different versions continued to appear with varying depictions of the coat of arms.

The legislature chose to standardize the flag for general use on June 13, 1907. The law required the blue field to match the blue in the flag of the United States. This design remains in use today with no changes to the basic layout.

The Pennsylvania state flag uses a blue field matching the blue in the United States flag. The coat of arms includes multiple colors. Black appears on the horses and motto text. Red marks the ribbon. Gold or yellow colors the eagle and parts of the shield, reinforcing the traditional Pennsylvania color palette.

The ship, plow, wheat, olive branch, and cornstalk use natural colors. White appears in parts of the design. The 1907 law specified only that the blue field must match the national flag, and the symbolism is often read together with the Keystone State nickname.