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Coat of Arms

City of Birmingham Coat of Arms & City Badge

Below is a full-colour reproduction of the City of Birmingham's Coat of Arms. This is the City Council's official emblem. Although it was granted on 10 May 1977, it still refers to the city's medieval origins, besides expressing Birmingham's notable role as a city of European status, both industrially and culturally.

These Arms were granted to the City Council. No other body can use them. Nor can the City Council authorise their use for other than its own purposes.


The Shield or Coat of Arms
Quarterly first and fourth Azure a Bend of five Lozenges conjoined Or second and third per pale indented Or and Gules over all a Cross Ermine thereon a Mitre Proper

The Crest
On a Wreath Or and Azure Issuant from a Mural Crown Or charged with a Rose Gules charged with another Argent barbed and seeded proper a dexter Arm embowed the hand holding a Hammer all proper Mantled Azure doubled Or

Supporters
On a dexter side a Female Figure (representing Art) proper vested Argent wreathed round the temples with laurel Vert tied by a Riband Gules holding in the sinister hand resting on the Shield a Book bound also Gules and in the dexter a Painter's Palette Or with two Brushes proper and on the sinister side a Man habited as a Smith (representing Industry) holding in the dexter hand resting on the Shield a Cupel and in the sinister a Hammer resting on an Anvil all proper.


Badge
A roundel per pale indented Argent and Sable within a Cogwheel Gules between each pair of Cogs a Bezant

Motto
FORWARD


Heraldic Terms in the Description

Argent

  • Silver or white

Azure

  • blue

Bend

  • a band crossing the shield diagonally from dexter chief to sinister base

Dexter

  • the right-hand side (of the wearer, i.e. the spectator's left)

Embowed

  • bent (like a bow)

Fess

  • a band drawn horizontally across the middle of the shield

Gules

  • red

Lozenge

  • a diamond (as on a playing card)

Mural

  • like a wall

Or

  • Gold

Per Pale

  • from top to bottom

Proper

  • in natural colours

Quarterly

by quarters of the shield in the following order:-

  • 1st - Dexter chief (spectator's top left)
  • 2nd - sinister chief (spectator's top right)
  • 3rd -dexter base (spectator's bottom left)
  • 4th -sinister base (spectator's bottom right)


Sinister

  • The left-hand side (of the wearer, ie. the spectator's right)

Vert

  • Green
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