Coin Collecting Merit Badge
Seven requirements. The long ones are 4, a set of U.S. coins from stated year groups and programs, each with its design features, designer's name and initials and where to find them; and 7, ONE of 20 world coins, 20 world paper money, 20 tokens or medals, or a coin show, club meeting, Mint tour or virtual exhibit. The rest are explanations: minting, terms, storage, the Bicentennial designs and paper currency.
The plan behind this
Requirement 4: the coins to collect
For every item below, explain to your counselor the design features, designer name, designer initials, and where to find them.
| part | what to collect | and explain |
|---|---|---|
| 4(a) | a one-cent coin dated 1959 to 2008, and one from 2010 to the present | how and why the 2009 one-cent coins differed from both groups |
| 4(b) | two five-cent coins, one from 1959 to 2003 and one from 2006 to the present | how and why the 2004 to 2005 five-cent coins differed from both groups |
| 4(c) | a ten-cent coin from 1965 to the present | |
| 4(d) | a quarter from 1965 to 1998; two examples from the 50-State Quarter/territories Program, 1999 to 2009; two designs from the America the Beautiful program, 2010 to 2021; two designs from the American Women Quarter program, 2022 to 2024 | the purpose of each of those programs |
| 4(e) | a half dollar from 1965 to the present | |
| 4(f) | a dollar coin from each design group: Susan B. Anthony (1979 to 1981, 1999), Sacagawea (2000 to 2008) and U.S. Presidents (2007 to 2016, 2020) |
Finding the right dates and designs can take time. Start looking early.
Requirement 7: ONE of four
| route | what it asks |
|---|---|
| 7(a) | 20 different world coins from at least seven countries: the country, major design elements and denomination of each |
| 7(b) | 20 different world paper money from at least seven countries: the same three things for each |
| 7(c) | 20 different tokens and/or medals: the issuer and use of each |
| 7(d) | ONE of: a coin show, a coin club meeting, a tour of a U.S. Mint facility or museum, or a virtual exhibit approved by your counselor (with your parent or guardian's permission); then report what you experienced |
The explanations
Requirement 1 is how coins are made and where the active U.S. Mint facilities are; 2 is six terms (obverse, reverse, reeding, clad, type set and date set); 3 is three ways to store a collection with the benefits, drawbacks and cost of each; 5 is the special reverse designs of the 1975 to 1976 Bicentennial quarter, half dollar and dollar; and 6 is the people on the $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes, and where U.S. currency is printed.
What this page is
The Coin Collecting merit badge, drawn so the coins of requirement 4 and the collection or event of requirement 7 stand out, with the design-feature explanation that applies to every coin in 4 marked as often forgotten. It is not a copy of the requirements: each step is a short label with a link to the official requirements, which are what actually governs and which change from year to year. The free official pamphlet is the fuller guide.
Sources for this page
- Coin Collecting Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-31 · The requirements themselves, and the free official pamphlet linked from them.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.0.3 · The process every merit badge is earned through, which this page does not repeat.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 7.0.4.3 · Which version of a changed requirement applies to a Scout who has already started.
- Guide to Advancement, 2025, Section 4.0.0.1 · Why the requirements are not in the Guide to Advancement and are expected to change annually.
Last checked against its sources on .