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JeffHall28 t1_jdhfmfy wrote

The only part I don't necessarily like (aside from it being the sum total of our state flag) is the ship. I'm sure its suppose to be William Penn's ship but did I feel like there are more powerful symbols for his founding of the colony than his ride up the Delaware, right? I just think for a state with only 40 miles of lake front and 50 miles of river navigable by a ship like that, why are we leaning into this maritime motif? I say we replace the ship with some more significant, like a miner's pick, industrial hammer, pretzel, liberty bell, locomotive, whitetail deer, factory belching smoke, crucible in a steel mill, Quaker getting a Lenape man sign away his shit, literally anything. I would also contend that the center images should not be contained in a keystone made of riveted steel instead of some weird baroque whatever that is.

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vonHindenburg t1_jdhgsuq wrote

I think the ship has more to do with trade, as one of the sources of the state's wealth. Philly was one of the nation's major ports and centers of commerce when this seal was created and that ship would be crazy-anachronistic to represent William Penn's.

EDIT: From Wikipedia:

> The Pennsylvania coat of arms features a shield crested by a North American bald eagle, flanked by horses, and adorned with symbols of Pennsylvania's strengths—a ship carrying state commerce to all parts of the world; a clay-red plough, a symbol of Pennsylvania's rich natural resources; and three golden sheaves of wheat, representing fertile fields and Pennsylvania's wealth of human thought and action. An olive branch and cornstalk cross limbs beneath—symbols of peace and prosperity. The state motto, "Virtue, Liberty and Independence", appears festooned below. Atop the coat of arms is a bald eagle, representing Pennsylvania's loyalty to the United States.[2][3]

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randycanyon t1_jdjhglu wrote

NB that those horses are in harness -- they're farm-working horses, not just for pretty. I've always liked that bit.

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t21millz t1_jdhhkrg wrote

Yeah, the locomotive idea is great!! Get the PRR on there!

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