List of West Virginia state symbols
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The following is a list of symbols of the U.S. state of West Virginia.
Insignia
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coat of arms | The Coat of Arms of West Virginia | 1863[1] |  |
| Flag | The flag of West Virginia consists of the coat of arms, wreathed below in rhododendron and bannered with "State of West Virginia" above, on a white field bound in blue | 1929[1] |  |
| Motto | Montani Semper Liberi (Mountaineers [are] Always Free) |
1863,[1][2] 1872[3] | |
| Seal | The Great Seal of the State of West Virginia | 1863[1][2] |  |
Flora and fauna
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal | Black bear | 1954,[1] 1973[3] |  |
| Bird | Cardinal | 1949[1] |  |
| Butterfly | Monarch butterfly | 1995[3] |  |
| Fish | Brook trout | 1973[1] |  |
| Flower | Rhododendron | 1903[1] | .jpg) |
| Fruit | Apple | 1972[3] |  |
| Golden Delicious apple | 1995[3] | ||
| Insect | Honey bee | 2002[3] |  |
| Reptile | Timber rattlesnake | 2008[4] | .jpg) |
| Tree | Sugar maple | 1949[1][3] |  |
Inanimate
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fossil | Jefferson's ground sloth (Megalonyx jeffersonii) | 2008[4] |  |
| Gem | Silicified Mississippian Lithostrotionella coral | 1990[3] |  |
| Rock | Bituminous coal | 2009[5] |  |
| Soil | Monongahela | 1997[3][6] |
Cultural
| Type | Symbol | Year | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colors | Old gold and blue | 1963[1] | |
| Official holiday | West Virginia Day – June 20 | 1927[3] | |
| Official songs | "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "The West Virginia Hills," "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home" and "This Is My West Virginia" | 1971, 1963, 2014[7] | |
| Steam Locomotive | Cass Scenic Railroad #5 | 2004[8] | .jpg) |
| Tartan | West Virginia Shawl (adaptation) | 2008[9] |  |
| State Firearm | Harpers Ferry M1819 Hall Rifle | 2013[10] |  |