Who's got the best looking avatar?

[jerseydevil]

Originally posted by Eärniel
Maybe you could just use the blue shield. *peers closer* Those are three plows on it, right?

yeah - New Jersey was and is a big agricultural state. Moreso before than now.

On February 28th, 1780, the Continental War Officers in Philadelphia directed that each of said regiments should have two flags, viz: one the United States flag and the other a State flag, the ground to be of the color of the facing. Thus the State flag of New Jersey became the beautiful and historic buff, as selected for it by the Father of His Country, and it was displayed in view of the combined French and American armies in the great culminating event of the War of the Revolution, the capitulation of a British army under Lieutenant General Earl Cornwallis at Yorktown.

The same color has been prescribed for the state flag of New York, where a law requires it to be displayed with the United States flag over the capital when the legislature is in session.

The inquiry arises, why did General Washington select the beautiful historic buff facings exclusively for the Continental lines of New York and New Jersey when such facings were only prescribed for his own uniform and that of other Continental general officers and their aides-de-camp?

He evidently made the selection not only designedly, but for historic reasons. New York and New Jersey had originally been settled by the Dutch. Dark blue (Jersey blue) and buff were Holland or Netherlands insignia.

The Governor as commander-in-chief represents the State of New Jersey, and should have a prescribed headquarters flag, different from that used by infantry, cavalry or artillery.

The New Jersey State flag displays the official State colors. The State seal is presented in Jersey blue on a buff background. The colors were chosen by General George Washington in 1779, after he was headquartered in New Jersey during the Revolutionary war. These were the military colors used by the New Jersey troops.

The State seal in the center of the flag contains a horse's head. A helmet showing that New Jersey governs itself and three plows on a shield referring to the State's agriculture tradition, giving it the nickname "Garden State". The two Goddesses represent the State motto, "Liberty and Prosperity". Liberty is on the left. She is holding a staff with a liberty cap on it, and the word liberty underneath her. The goddess on the right is Ceres, goddess of agriculture. She is holding a cornucopia with prosperity written below her.

Just to give you some history on the state flag of NJ - because chances are - I will be using it in some form for an avatar.