The design on the Virginia Flag Gold Fringe comes from this history.
The Virginia flag carries the obverse of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth on a deep blue field. The Virginia Convention adopted the seal on July 5, 1776, from a design by a committee led by George Wythe.
The seal shows Virtus, the Roman goddess of virtue and the guiding spirit of the Commonwealth, dressed as an Amazon. She rests on a spear and holds a sheathed sword, standing over Tyranny: a fallen man whose crown lies beside him, with a broken chain in one hand and a scourge in the other. Below them runs the motto Sic Semper Tyrannis, Thus Always to Tyrants.
Today the Code of Virginia (§ 1-506) defines the flag as a deep blue field with a white circle in the center bearing the coat of arms, with an optional white fringe on the edge furthest from the staff.
Symbolism at a Glance
- Virtus: Virtue and the guiding spirit of the Commonwealth.
- Tyranny: Overthrown, with a fallen crown, a broken chain and a scourge.
- Sic Semper Tyrannis: Thus Always to Tyrants, a warning to any tyrant.
- Deep blue field and white circle: The field and center set out in the Code of Virginia.
