Coin Collecting Merit Badge Requirements

1: Understand how coins are made, and where the active U.S. mint facilities are located.

To start off we have some basics on how the things we collect are made. This includes the designing process and die production as well as the actual mechanics of the milling of strips, making of blanks, and striking finished coins. Knowledge of the mint locations is a natural building block for the concepts of mintmarks.

How are coins made?

The metal used to make coins starts in a solid form called an ingot. This ingot is then fed into a rolling mill that exerts pressure and the ingot bar is reduced in thickness from over six inches to a long strip of metal the thickness of the final coin.

Since 1965, U.S. dimes, quarters, half dollars, and dollars have been made from a core of copper, layered between and bonded to two thinner outer layers of copper-nickel (except the current Sacagawea dollar). Cents since 1982 have been made of a zinc core plated with copper.

Once the strips, called coils, are rolled to the proper thickness, they are about 13 inches wide and over 1,500 feet in length. They are then fed through a blanking press, which punches out circular discs, called blanks. The leftover strip, now punched full of holes, is called webbing and is shredded and recycled for use in future coinage.

Blanks are the approximate size of a finished coin. They are heated in an annealing furnace to soften them, and then they are run through a washer and dryer to remove any stray grease. The shiny blanks are sorted on a riddler to screen out any that are the wrong size or incomplete shape. The clean blanks are sent through an upsetting mill, which squeezes the edges, giving them a slightly raised surface.

The blanks are now ready to be placed into a coining press, where dies strike the image and legends on them. The raised edges in the upsetting process assist in the striking of uniform flat edges at the rim, so that coins can be “stacked.”

In the United States, the stamping of the official image at one of the U.S. Mints makes them coins, and the new coins are inspected, counted by weight, and bagged for shipment to the 12 Federal Reserve banks, and then to your local bank for distribution.

Blanks are the approximate size of a finished coin. They are heated in an annealing furnace to soften them, and then they are run through a washer and dryer to remove any stray grease. The shiny blanks are sorted on a riddler to screen out any that are the wrong size or incomplete shape. The clean blanks are sent through an upsetting mill, which squeezes the edges, giving them a slightly raised surface.

The blanks are now ready to be placed into a coining press, where dies strike the image and legends on them. The raised edges in the upsetting process assist in the striking of uniform flat edges at the rim, so that coins can be “stacked.”

In the United States, the stamping of the official image at one of the U.S. Mints makes them coins, and the new coins are inspected, counted by weight, and bagged for shipment to the 12 Federal Reserve banks, and then to your local bank for distribution.

The Old San Francisco Mint

2: Explain these terms: obverse, reverse, reeding, clad, type set, date set.

The Boy Scout Coin Collecting Merit Badge booklet explains many more terms specific to the hobby, but these six were selected, as they are cornerstones to further requirements and a basis for the talk of the hobby. For a complete glossary of terms, consult the merit badge booklet.

Obverse: the front of a coin, usually the side with the date or head. When you flip a coin and call “Heads,” this is the side you want.

Reverse: the back of a coin, usually the side without a date or a head. When you flip a coin and call “Tails,” this is the side you want.

Reeded Edge: an edge with raised vertical or diagonal marks designed to make it obvious if anyone has removed any metal from the edges. This was important when coins were valued for their full weight in precious or semi-precious metal. Modern U.S. coins with a reeded edge include the Roosevelt dime, Washington quarter and Kennedy half-dollar.

Clad: coins made of layers of metal. Examples include our modern Dimes, Quarters, Half Dollars, and One Dollars that have centers of copper and outer layers of a copper-nickel alloy.

Type Set: each kind of coin from any given time and place. For example, a 20th century U.S. Type Set would include each design of cent, nickel, dime, quarter, half dollar and dollar coin minted in the United States from 1900 to 1999.

Date Set: a set of the same type of coins with an example from each date that particular type of coin was minted; for example a date set of Lincoln “Wheat-back reverse” Cents would include an example from each year 1909 to 1958.

3:  Know three different ways to store a collection, and describe the benefits, drawbacks and expense of each of these methods.

Storage of a Collection

When one is about to embark on collecting something, one should know of the types of storage items available (and the associated costs and drawbacks associated with those options).

 

How do you store your collection of favorite coins? In a jar? box under your bed? or maybe in a bureau drawer? Coins that are hoarded in a box or jar can get scratched, rubbed and dented, lowering the grade and condition. NEVER glue or tape coins to anything! This will damage the coin and ruin any collector value. Collector coins should be organized and properly stored to provide protection for the coins and information about the collection. This will keep your investment safe and you will enjoy your collection more as you work to organize it.

Many people are familiar with cardboard folders that hold a specific type of coins like the 50-State Quarters. This is a good, inexpensive way to organize and display a date set of coins collected from circulation or pocket change. It is not a good way to store valuable collector coins as the cardboard holders can tarnish the coins and do not offer protection to the surfaces of the coins. Pushing the coins into the round holes also leaves oil from your fingers on the surface of the coins and permanent marks may develop. It is best to wear special cotton gloves when handling the coins and placing then into the holders.

 

A “2 x 2” is an inexpensive cardboard holder. One coin is placed in the center of one side of a square of cardboard with a see-through piece of Mylar in the center. The other identical side is folded over and stapled shut resulting in a 2-inch by 2-inch holder (thus the common name “2 by 2”) containing one coin. Both sides of the coin can be viewed through the plastic center (which varies in size according to the coin type) and information about the coin can be written on the cardboard portion. The holders fit perfectly into specially made boxes and albums. This is a very popular way for collectors and dealers to organize large collections of moderately priced coins. The drawback to this storage method is that the plastic centers can tear and the staples can damage the coins if not handled with care. With a lot of handling, the holders can become worn and unattractive.

 

Another popular and reasonably priced storage method is the 2 by 2-inch paper envelope, great for long-term storage. Information can easily be written on the outside of the envelope and groups of envelopes can be stored in special boxes. The drawback is that the coin has to be removed from the envelope to view.

4:  Do each of the following and explain to your counselor the design features, designer name, designer initials, and where to find them for each item:

(a) Collect a one-cent coin from the year group: 1959-2008 (that is, dated between 1959 and 2008) and a one-cent coin from the year group 2010-present. Explain how and why the one-cent coins issued in 2009 were different from either of the other two year groups.

(b) Collect two five-cent coins, one from each of these year groups: 1959-2003 and 2006-present. Explain how and why the five-cent coins issued in 2004-2005 were different from either of the other two year groups.

 

(c) Collect a ten-cent coin from 1965-present.

(d) Collect a twenty-five-cent coin from 1965-1998, two examples from the 50-State Quarter® /territories Program 1999-2009, two designs from the America the Beautiful® program 2012-2021 and two designs from the American Woman Quarter® program (2022-2024). Explain the purpose of each of those programs.

(e) Collect a half dollar coin from 1965-present.

(f) Collect a dollar coin from each of these design groups: Susan B. Anthony 1979-81; 1999; Sacagawea 2000-2008; U.S. Presidents 2000-2014.

 

Learn more about the specific coins selected by exploring the links below: https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coin-and-medal-programs/50-state-quarters 

https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coin-and-medal-programs/american-women-quarters

https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coin-and-medal-programs/america-the-beautiful-quarters.

Similar pages for other denominations, also grouped as “Circulating Coins,” is available here: https://www.usmint.gov/learn/coin-and-medal-programs/circulating-coins.

You all know that George Washington is depicted on the U.S. one-dollar notes and that Abraham Lincoln is on the five-dollar notes, but who is on the $2, $10, $20, $50 and $100 notes? Are they all United States Presidents? Why do you think they were honored in this way?

 

George Washington, the father of our country, was the first President of the United States. He served from 1789-97.

 

KNOW MORE! About George Washington

 

Abraham Lincoln was our sixteenth President (1861-1865) He was born February 12, 1809, in Hodgenville, Hardin County, Kentucky and died April 15, 1865, the morning after being shot at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. by John Wilkes Booth, an actor. He was married to Mary Todd Lincoln.

 

KNOW MORE! About Abraham Lincoln

 

Thomas Jefferson appears on the U.S. two-dollar bill. He was the third President of the U.S. serving from 1801-1809. He was born April 13, 1743 in Albermarle County, Virginia and died July 4, 1826 in Monticello (his home) in Virginia.

 

KNOW MORE! About Thomas Jefferson

 

Alexander Hamilton was born in 1757 on the island of Nevis, in the Leeward group, British West Indies. He was the Secretary of the Treasury from 1789-95. He is pictured on the face of the 10-dollar note and the U.S. Treasury building is pictured on the back.

 

Andrew Jackson, the 7th U.S. President graces the face of the U.S. 20-dollar note. Andrew Jackson was elected by popular vote, and as President he sought to act as the direct representative of the common man.

 

KNOW MORE! About Andrew Jackson

 

Ulysses S. Grant was the eighteenth U.S. President serving from 1869-1877. His portrait is on the 50-dollar bill. The U.S. Capital Building is on the back.

 

KNOW MORE! About Ulysses S. Grant

Benjamin Franklin was famous as a scientist, an inventor, a statesman, a printer, a philosopher, a musician, and an economist. Today, we honor Ben Franklin on the 100-dollar note as one of our Founding Fathers and as one of America’s greatest citizens. Although he was born in Boston, the city of Philadelphia is remembered as the home of Ben Franklin. In Philadelphia, you can find both Ben’s gravesite and the Benjamin Franklin National Memorial. You’ll also find The Franklin Institute Science Museum.

KNOW MORE! Ben’s Guide to U. S. Government, The World of Benjamin Franklin, An Extraordinary Life, an Electric Mind, and Benjamin Franklin: A Documentary History.

Legal Tender Notes are intended for “all debts public and private.” Also known as “United States notes,” they were introduced in 1862 and still circulate today. Unlike earlier demand notes, they are not redeemable in gold or silver of equivalent face value.

 

KNOW MORE! About Legal Tender Notes (PDF)

 

On December 23, 1913, an Act of Congress created the Federal Reserve System, which serves as the nation’s central bank. The System consists twelve Reserve Banks located in major cities throughout the United States: New York, Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Richmond, St Louis, and Philadelphia. An important job of the Federal Reserve is to function as the “banks’ bank,” ensuring that institutions have enough currency and coin on hand to meet current demand, which varies with the seasons of the year. Currency and coin put into circulation to meet seasonal demand is eventually returned to the institutions by merchants and other business owners. So to reduce the excess currency and coin held in their vaults, banks typically return cash to the Reserve Bank, where it is credited to their accounts. The process is reversed when the institutions need to replenish or increase their supply of currency and coin.

 

KNOW MORE! About the Federal Reserve Bank

More helpful hints and resources!