The 2008 Coin Collecting Merit Badge Booklet has just been released by the National Office of the Boy Scouts of America.

It now includes improved photos, many of which are in color. Some of the scout photos were taken at last fall’s Long Beach Coin Expo, one even includes dealer Julian Leidman showing the scouts some nice coins!

I’ve been involved with the ANA’s participation with the Coin Collecting booth at the Merit Badge Midway during the National Jamborees since 1981. Those opportunities made me the point person for both the ANA and the BSA to get a revision done in the requirements and booklet. That 2002 edition was the first major revision in requirements and the information booklet in over 25 years.

This 2008 revision of the Merit Badge booklet replaces the previous red-toped (two scouts on the cover) booklet which was introduced in 2002. 

To stay current with the changes in U.S. circulation coinage, namely the introduction of the Presidential circulating dollars, some wording changes were needed to a few of the requirements so that these new coins can be included by scouts working on the badge. Councilors and troop leaders should be aware of these changes and start using the new requirements as soon as they can.

The booklet is in the familiar 8x5-1/2 size, and continues at 64 pages. It is BSA stock #35874, and ISBN 978-0-8395-3390-9-0. The list price at scoutstuff.org is $4.49 plus shipping.

George