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Adventures in Coins

Cub Scouts · Adventure, Elective

Printable worksheet (PDF)

Adventures in Coins turns the change in your pocket into a treasure hunt. You'll learn the parts of a coin, find where it was made, and play games with coins. You might even start your own collection.

Why it's worth it

Every coin in your pocket is a tiny piece of history. On this adventure you'll read a coin like a detective: who's on it, what year it was made, and which mint made it. You might find a coin older than the grown-ups in your family. Some people start a coin collection at your age and keep adding to it for the rest of their lives.

Start this week

  1. Empty a coin jar, purse, or car cupholder and gather 20 coins.
  2. Find a magnifying glass, or use the zoom on a phone camera with your adult.
  3. Look under the year on a penny for a tiny letter. That's the mint mark.
  4. Peel the paper off a crayon so it's ready for coin rubbings.

Requirements · 4

Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).

  1. Requirement 1

    Identify the different parts of a coin

    Tip: Use a magnifying glass to find the front, back, edge, date, and motto on a coin.

    For example: On a quarter, find the front (called the obverse) with George Washington, the back (the reverse), the rim, the bumpy edge called reeding, the year, and the word LIBERTY.

  2. Requirement 2

    Find the mint mark on a coin; identify which mint made it and the year it was made

    Tip: Look near the date for a small letter. Sort a pile of coins by mint mark and year.

    For example: A D under the year means the Denver mint, and an S means San Francisco. P means Philadelphia, but most pennies made in Philadelphia have no letter at all.

  3. Requirement 3

    Play a coin game

    Tip: Try coin toss, coin sorting races, or a counting game with your den.

    For example: Try a sorting race: each player gets a pile of coins and races to sort them by type, then by year. The oldest coin in the pile earns a bonus point.

  4. Requirement 4

    Choose an interesting coin and make a rubbing of it; next to it, list what its pictures show, the year it was made, and its mint

    Tip: Put paper over a coin and rub with the side of a crayon. Label what you see.

    For example: Rub the front and back of a nickel, then label your drawing: "Thomas Jefferson, Monticello, the year, and the mint mark."

Places to visit

Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.

  • A coin club meeting or coin show

    Collectors enjoy showing young people very old and foreign coins, and some shows have a kids' table.

    How: Have your adult look online for a coin club near you and ask if your den can visit a meeting together.

  • A U.S. Mint facility or a Federal Reserve money museum

    You can see how coins are made or look at money from long ago.

    How: If one is near you, an adult can check its website for tour times and whether reservations are needed.

Talk about it together

  • What was the oldest coin you found, and what do you think the world was like that year?
  • Which coin design is your favorite, and why?
  • If you could design a coin, who or what would you put on it?
  • What surprised you most about where coins come from?

Good questions to ask a coin collector

  • What was the first coin in your collection?
  • How do you keep coins safe so they don't get scratched?
  • What's the most interesting coin you ever found in your change?

Helpful reads

For leaders & parents

  • Bring a jar of mixed coins and magnifying glasses so every scout has plenty to explore.
  • Invite a local coin club member to share interesting coins.

People & places that can help

Pairs well with

Counts toward

More Wolf adventures

Into this? Explore more

Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.