Sheffield's Coat of Arms

The arms were granted to the Sheffield Borough Council on 16 July 1875, and subsequently to the present City Council on 1 September 1977.

The lion 

The lion is taken from the Arms of the Dukes of Norfolk, lords of the manor of Sheffield. It also appeared in the Arms of the Talbot family, who held the lordship before them.

The sheaf of arrows 

The sheaf of arrows was the main motif in the seals of the Burgery of Sheffield and the Twelve Capital Burgesses, the two groups that managed local government before the Borough was created.

The 3 wheatsheaves on a green field 

It is guessed that this symbols was probably chosen at the College of Arms as a play upon the name Sheffield which means “the open space by the River Sheaf”.

The 2 supporters – Vulcan and Thor

These figures were chosen to reflect Sheffield’s strong connection to metalworking:

• Thor (on the left) is the Norse god of smiths. He rests his hand on a hammer.
• Vulcan (on the right) is the Roman god of fire and metalworking. He stands in front of an anvil and holds a pair of pincers.

Motto

The Latin phrase “Deo Adjuvante Labor Proficit” means “With God’s help, our work succeeds.”