Andrew Powers stole two Royal British Legion collection tins less than 10 minutes after the national minutes silence in Balsall Common.
Powers, from Stetchford, went into the HSBC bank at 11.10am under the premise of setting up a new account.
When the clerk left to find an advisor the 29-year-old put the poppy tin containing about £100 under his jacket and left.
The second donation box, containing about £20, was taken from the Dry Cleaners and Dress Agency in Station Road.
Powers, 29, admitted two charges of theft and was jailed for 17 weeks, West Midlands Police said in a press release.
Investigating officer, PC George Stokes, said: “These incidents took place shortly after the two minutes' silence…that's what makes them so distasteful and so desperate.
“The offender obviously thought these charity boxes were easy targets, but he was quickly identified from CCTV footage and picked up by officers.”
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