It was granted in 1977 and includes various elements related to the area the council governs: the metropolitan borough of Birmingham in the county of the West Midlands, England.

This comes from the arms of the Calthorpe family, lords of the manor of Edgbaston, an area included in the borough at its incorporation.

As there were doubts about the heraldic correctness of the new design, a new painting was obtained from the College of Arms in 1936 incorporating the changes, but still conforming to the 1889 blazon or technical description.

The main changes were the addition of a helm and mantling between the shield and crest, a redrawing of the male figure and the replacement of the platform on which the supporters stood with a grassy compartment.

As the College of Arms does not allow two bodies or persons to have identical supporters, they were swapped to opposite sides of the shield.

The male figure now holds a cupel, a tool used in the manufacture of jewellery, an important industry in modern Birmingham.

As well as its use on seals and letters, the coat of arms is used in a number of ways, for example as an architectural detail, or to decorate items including buses (in the days when municipal transport was the responsibility of the council), street furniture, refuse collection vehicles, and even the crockery and cutlery used in the Council House.