The arms were granted to the town by Louis I of Hungary the Great, in 1369 and Kosice was the first city in Europe to receive such a privilege.
The original arms featured only red and silver stripes and three yellow lilly flowers in a blue background. All the other symbols are later additions. The arms as they are in use at present, date from 1502 and haven't been changed since.
At present Kosice is the city with the oldest still existing document of granting in Europe.