Every coin tells a story about history, art, and the people who made it. This badge teaches you how money is made, how to care for coins, and how to build a collection you'll enjoy. Start by checking the change in your pocket.
Why it's worth it
Every coin in your pocket is a tiny piece of history and art, stamped with a date, a mint mark, and a design someone argued about for months. Coin Collecting teaches you to read those clues, care for coins so they keep their value, and build a collection that tells a story. You can start for free by searching your family's spare change, and it can lead to a lifelong hobby, an eye for detail, and an interest in history, art, and economics.
Start this week
- Empty a jar or pocketful of change onto a towel and sort the coins by type and date. Look for the oldest one.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Coin Collecting counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Use a magnifying glass to find the mint mark on a few coins, like a small P, D, or S, and write down which Mint made each one.
- Get an inexpensive coin folder or a few labeled envelopes to start organizing what you find.
Requirements · 7
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).
- Requirement 1
Explain how coins are produced and name the locations of the U.S. Mint facilities now in operation
Tip: Look at the mint mark on your coins and find out which Mint made each one.
For example: Explain the steps: metal strips are rolled, blanks are punched out, rims are raised, and presses strike the design on both sides at once. Then point out where the U.S. Mint facilities are, like Philadelphia (P), Denver (D), San Francisco (S), and West Point (W).
- Requirement 2
Explain these coin terms: obverse, reverse, clad, reeding, date set, and type set
Tip: Make flash cards for collecting terms and quiz yourself while sorting coins.
For example: Make flash cards for obverse (front), reverse (back), clad (layers of different metals, like the copper core in a dime), reeding (the ridges on the edge), date set (one coin of each year in a series), and type set (one coin of each design). Quiz yourself by picking a coin and describing it using as many terms as you can.
- Requirement 3
Describe three ways to store a collection, including the pros, cons, and cost of each
Tip: Compare albums, folders, and holders. Handle coins by their edges to protect them.
For example: Compare three storage methods: a cardboard folder (cheap and easy for circulated coins), a 2x2 holder (good for single coins with labels), and an album with clear slides (lets you see both sides). Explain why you'd avoid PVC plastic.
- Requirement 4
For each coin you collect in 4a-4f, explain to your counselor its design features, the designer's name and initials, and where to find them on the coin
Tip: Check your family's spare change for the designs you need. Use a coin folder to keep track.
- Requirement 4a
Collect a one-cent coin dated 1959-2008 and one dated 2010 or later; explain how and why the 2009 one-cent coins differ from both groups
- Requirement 4b
Collect two five-cent coins, one dated 1959-2003 and one dated 2006 or later; explain how and why the 2004-2005 five-cent coins differ from both groups
- Requirement 4c
Collect a ten-cent coin dated 1965 or later
- Requirement 4d
Collect a quarter dated 1965-1998, two 50 State Quarters/territories coins (1999-2009), two America the Beautiful designs (2010-2021), and two American Women Quarters designs (2022-2024); explain the purpose of each program
- Requirement 4e
Collect a half dollar dated 1965 or later
- Requirement 4f
Collect one dollar coin from each design group: Sacagawea (2000-2008), Susan B. Anthony (1979-1981 and 1999), and Presidential (2007-2016 and 2020)
- Requirement 5
Tell your counselor about the special back-side (reverse) designs used on 1975-1976 quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins to mark the U.S. Bicentennial
Tip: Look up the special reverse designs and see if you can find some in circulation.
For example: For the U.S. Bicentennial, 1975–1976 quarters, half dollars, and dollar coins carry the double date 1776–1976 and special reverses: a colonial drummer on the quarter, Independence Hall on the half dollar, and the Liberty Bell in front of the Moon on the dollar. Explain what each design honors, and check family change jars for a drummer quarter.
- Requirement 6
Tell your counselor whose portraits are on today's $100, $50, $20, $10, $5, $2, and $1 bills, and explain where U.S. paper money is printed
Tip: Look closely at paper money to see whose portrait is on each bill. Find out where it is printed.
- Requirement 7
World coins, paper money, tokens, or a coin outing. Choose 1 of 4
Tips for this section: Choose the option that interests you most. A local coin club or shop can help you find world coins or tokens.
Example for this section: For a project, you could collect world coins from relatives' travels and sort them by continent, or build a small display of tokens, like old transit or arcade tokens, with a card explaining where each came from.
- Requirement 7a
Collect 20 different world coins from at least 7 countries and identify each one's country, main design elements, and denomination for your counselor
- Requirement 7b
Collect 20 different pieces of world paper money from at least 7 countries and identify each one's country, main design elements, and denomination for your counselor
- Requirement 7c
Collect 20 different tokens or medals (or a mix) and identify each one's issuer and use for your counselor
- Requirement 7d
Coin outing. Choose 1 of 4
- Requirement 7d1
Go to a coin show and tell your counselor about your experience
- Requirement 7d2
Go to a coin club meeting and tell your counselor about your experience
- Requirement 7d3
Tour a U.S. Mint facility or museum and tell your counselor about your experience
- Requirement 7d4
With a parent's or guardian's permission, tour a virtual exhibit your counselor approves and tell your counselor about your experience
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A U.S. Mint facility or the Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Some Mint and BEP locations offer public tours where you can watch coins being struck or money being printed.
How: Have an adult check the U.S. Mint or BEP website for tour availability and reservations. Plan it into a family trip if you're nearby.
A coin club meeting or coin show
Collectors love sharing their knowledge, and many clubs have youth programs or giveaways for young collectors.
How: An adult finds a local club through the American Numismatic Association and goes with you to a meeting or show.
A museum with a money or coin exhibit
You can see rare and historic coins up close and learn how money changed over time.
How: Check museum websites for numismatic exhibits, and go with your family or patrol.
Where it can lead
- NumismatistAn expert who studies coins and money, often at a museum or auction house.
- Coin designer or engraverCreates the artwork that appears on coins and medals.
- Museum curatorCares for and researches historic collections, including coins and paper money.
- Mint production workerOperates the presses and equipment that make the nation's coins; trained on the job.
Ask yourself
- What kind of coins or money are you most curious about, and why?
- What's the most interesting coin you've found so far, and what's its story?
- How do you decide what's worth adding to your collection?
- What did you learn about history or art from the designs on coins?
- What would you like your collection to look like in five years?
Good questions to ask an experienced coin collector
- What got you started collecting, and what was your first special coin?
- How do you tell what a coin is worth?
- What mistakes do new collectors make when handling or storing coins?
- What's a good theme for a beginner's collection?
- How can a collector avoid buying fakes?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Host a coin swap night where scouts can trade duplicates.
- Invite a local coin club member to show their collection and share tips.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- United States Mint (opens in a new tab) — How coins are made and current designs.
- American Numismatic Association (opens in a new tab) — Resources and programs for young collectors.
- Local coin club or coin shop — Experienced collectors who can answer questions.
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing (opens in a new tab) — How paper money is designed and printed, and how to visit.
- U.S. Currency Education Program (opens in a new tab) — Security features and the people and designs on every bill.
- American Numismatic Society (opens in a new tab) — A museum and research center with one of the largest coin collections in the world.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.