West Virginia

Officially adopted in 1962, the white represents purity and the blue the Union. The coat of arms sits in the middle wreathed by Rhododendron maximum, the state flower. The Latin inscription within the arms reads “mountaineers are always free” and the phrase “June 20, 1863”, seen written on a boulder in the centre of the arms, refers to the state’s entry into the Union. The miner and farmer refer to the state’s industry, while the two crossed hunting rifles and a Phrygian cap (or “Cap of Liberty”) illustrate the importance of the state’s fight for liberty.