The greater arms of the state depict the bull's head of Mecklenburg, the griffin of Pomerania, and the red eagle of Brandenburg.

However, the arms of the dukes were somewhat more complex as they also included many "quarterings" representing subordinate titles, many of which are still used by their modern counterparts.

This complexity was retained by the Mecklenburgian arms until the dissolution of the Free States of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz under Nazi rule.

During the interwar period a crowned red sinister (i.e. looking towards the viewer's right) griffin was also used for the Polish Pomeranian Voivodeship, which lay between the Prussian provinces of Pomerania and East Prussia (i.e. Pomeralia), forming the so-called Polish corridor.

Today, in addition to the German Vorpommern, the red griffin is used as the coat of arms of the Polish West Pomeranian Voivodeship, which corresponds roughly to western Farther Pomerania; the more eastern Pomeranian Voivodeship, which corresponds roughly to the remainder of Farther Pomerania and Pomeralia uses a black griffin on gold.