Souvenir - miniature flag and pole, City of Amsterdam (XXX) The flag of Amsterdam depicts three Saint Andrew's Crosses and is based on the escutcheon in the coat of arms of Amsterdam. The flag was adopted on February 5, 1975. The colours of the flag are derived primarily from the coat of arms of the city of Amsterdam. Their meaning is unclear. According to the city government, its origin could go back to the coat of arms of the Persijn family, which once owned a large tract of land in the capital. These colors as well as the crosses are to be seen in the flags of both Ouder-Amstel and Amstelveen. The popular legend that the three Saint Andrew's crosses were meant to ward off fire, floods and the black plague is unfounded as the use of three St. Andrews crosses by noble families in the area precedes the arrival of the Black Death in Europe. The official city motto is Valor, Resolution, and Mercy. The three X's, saltires (St. Andrew's crosses), are taken to represent these even though the X's are older than the motto. A popular tradition also links the X's to the three threats to the city: Water, Fire and Pestilence. In the coats of arms of two other Dutch cities, Dordrecht and Delft, the middle stripe symbolises water. In regards to Amsterdam, this black strip becomes the River Amstel.