Stamp Collecting Merit Badge
Eight requirements. Most are things to show: an example of each of ten kinds of stamp or postal item (3), a catalog and examples of condition (4), at least three collector's tools (5), and an album page (6). Requirement 7 is any two of six activities, and 8 is ONE collection mounted in an album; one of those, 8(e), is your own mail watched for 30 days.
The plan behind this
Requirement 3: ten kinds of example to find
At least one example of each:
| part | show an example of |
|---|---|
| 3(a) | perforated and imperforate stamps |
| 3(b) | mint and used stamps |
| 3(c) | sheet, booklet, and coil stamps |
| 3(d) | numbers on plate block, booklet, coil, or marginal markings |
| 3(e) | overprint and surcharge |
| 3(f) | metered mail |
| 3(g) | definitive, commemorative, semipostal, and airmail stamps |
| 3(h) | cancellation and postmark |
| 3(i) | first day cover |
| 3(j) | postal stationery (aerogramme, stamped envelope, and postal card) |
Requirement 5: at least THREE of seven tools
Demonstrate the use of at least three of: stamp tongs; water and tray; magnifiers; hinges and stamp mounts; perforation gauge; glassine envelopes and cover sleeves; watermark fluid.
Requirement 7: do TWO of six
| route | what it asks |
|---|---|
| 7(a) | design a stamp, cancellation, or cachet |
| 7(b) | visit a post office, stamp club, or stamp show with an experienced collector; explain what you saw and learned |
| 7(c) | review an interesting article from a stamp newspaper, magazine, book, or website (with your parent or guardian's permission) |
| 7(d) | research and report on a famous stamp-related personality or the history behind a particular stamp |
| 7(e) | describe the steps taken to produce a stamp: printing methods, types of paper, perforation styles, and gumming |
| 7(f) | a two- to three-page display that tells a story about the stamps and how they relate to history, geography, or a favorite topic |
Requirement 8: ONE collection, mounted and shown in an album
The album may be purchased or homemade.
| route | the collection |
|---|---|
| 8(a) | 250 or more different stamps from at least 15 countries |
| 8(b) | a stamp from each of 50 different countries, mounted on maps to show the location of each |
| 8(c) | 100 or more different stamps from one country or a group of closely related countries |
| 8(d) | 75 or more different stamps on a single topic; the stamps may be from different countries |
| 8(e) | postal items discovered in your mail by monitoring it over 30 days, with at least five different types listed in requirement 3 |
The explanations
Requirement 1 is what collecting stamps teaches about people, places, institutions, history and geography, and the history of the United States postal system and how it differs from others. Requirement 2 is topical collecting and three other types of collection. Requirement 4 is using one standard catalog and what "condition" means, and 6(b) is three ways to keep stamps, covers and albums in first-class condition.
What this page is
The Stamp Collecting merit badge, drawn so the examples to find, the tools and the album work stand out, with requirements 5, 7 and 8 drawn as questions and the 30-day mail collection in 8(e) tied to the types listed in requirement 3. 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
- Stamp Collecting Merit Badge Requirements, Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-09-19 · 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 .