Coal

Coal
Rarity tier	; Common
Renewable	Yes
Stackable	Yes (64)

Coal is a mineral item mainly obtained from coal ore. It is primarily used for crafting torches and campfires, in addition to being used as fuel.

Obtaining

Mining

Coal ore when mined using a pickaxe drops 1 piece of coal. If the pickaxe is enchanted with Fortune, it may drop an extra piece per level of Fortune, up to a maximum of 4 with Fortune III.

Mob loot

Java Edition:

Mob		Quantity / Chance / Average
Mob		Default			Looting I			Looting II			Looting III
	Wither Skeleton	0–1	33.33%	0.33	0–2	66.67%	0.83	0–3	83.33%	1.33	0–4	88.89%	1.83

Mob		Quantity / Chance / Average
Mob		Default			Looting I			Looting II			Looting III
	Wither Skeleton	0–1	¹⁄₃	¹⁄₃	0–2	²⁄₃	⁵⁄₆	0–3	⁵⁄₆	⁴⁄₃	0–4	⁸⁄₉	¹¹⁄₆

Mob		Amount	Probability
Mob		Amount	Default	Looting I	Looting II	Looting III
	Wither Skeleton	0	²⁄₃ (66.67%)	¹⁄₃ (33.33%)	¹⁄₆ (16.67%)	¹⁄₉ (11.11%)
		1	¹⁄₃ (33.33%)	¹⁄₂ (50.00%)	⁵⁄₁₂ (41.67%)	⁵⁄₁₈ (27.78%)
		2	0	¹⁄₆ (16.67%)	¹⁄₃ (33.33%)	¹⁄₃ (33.33%)
		3	0	0	¹⁄₁₂ (8.33%)	²⁄₉ (22.22%)
		4	0	0	0	¹⁄₁₈ (5.56%)
		Average	¹⁄₃ (0.33)	⁵⁄₆ (0.83)	⁴⁄₃ (1.33)	¹¹⁄₆ (1.83)

Mob		Expected Number of Kills
Drops		1
Mob		Default	Looting I	Looting II	Looting III
	Wither Skeleton	3.00	1.20	0.75	0.55

Bedrock Edition:

Mob		Quantity / Chance / Average
Mob		Default			Looting I			Looting II			Looting III
	Wither Skeleton	0–1	50.00%	0.50	0–2	50.00%	0.75	0–3	50.00%	1.00	0–4	50.00%	1.25

Mob		Quantity / Chance / Average
Mob		Default			Looting I			Looting II			Looting III
	Wither Skeleton	0–1	¹⁄₂	¹⁄₂	0–2	¹⁄₂	³⁄₄	0–3	¹⁄₂	1	0–4	¹⁄₂	⁵⁄₄

Mob		Amount	Probability
Mob		Amount	Default	Looting I	Looting II	Looting III
	Wither Skeleton	0	¹⁄₂ (50.00%)	¹⁄₂ (50.00%)	¹⁄₂ (50.00%)	¹⁄₂ (50.00%)
		1	¹⁄₂ (50.00%)	¹⁄₄ (25.00%)	¹⁄₈ (12.50%)	¹⁄₁₂ (8.33%)
		2	0	¹⁄₄ (25.00%)	¹⁄₄ (25.00%)	¹⁄₆ (16.67%)
		3	0	0	¹⁄₈ (12.50%)	¹⁄₆ (16.67%)
		4	0	0	0	¹⁄₁₂ (8.33%)
		Average	¹⁄₂ (0.50)	³⁄₄ (0.75)	1 (1.00)	⁵⁄₄ (1.25)

Mob		Expected Number of Kills
Drops		1
Mob		Default	Looting I	Looting II	Looting III
	Wither Skeleton	2.00	1.33	1.00	0.80

Generated loot

Item	Structure	Container	Quantity	Chance
Java Edition
Coal	Monster Room	Chest	1–4	26.6% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.26610816000000004, "structure": "Monster Room", "container": "Chest" }
	Abandoned Camp	Barrel	2–4	35.5% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "2–4", "chance": 0.35542388369628897, "structure": "Abandoned Camp", "container": "Barrel" }
	Mineshaft	Chest not located in a sulfur cave	3–8	27.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "3–8", "chance": 0.27314935357988357, "structure": "Mineshaft", "container": "Chest not located in a sulfur cave" }
	Ancient City	Chest	6–15	47.4% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "6–15", "chance": 0.4735347641052928, "structure": "Ancient City", "container": "Chest" }
	Cold Ocean Ruins	Cold ruins suspicious gravel	1	13.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.1333333333333333, "structure": "Cold Ocean Ruins", "container": "Cold ruins suspicious gravel" }
	Igloo	Chest	1–4	70.4% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.7036114467820859, "structure": "Igloo", "container": "Chest" }
	Mineshaft	Chest located in a sulfur cave	3–8	27.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "3–8", "chance": 0.27314935357988357, "structure": "Mineshaft", "container": "Chest located in a [[sulfur cave]]" }
	Shipwreck	Supply chest	2–8	37.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "2–8", "chance": 0.3733254862763913, "structure": "Shipwreck", "container": "Supply chest" }
	Stronghold	Storeroom chest	3–8	34.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "3–8", "chance": 0.34326506922961153, "structure": "Stronghold", "container": "Storeroom chest" }
	Trail Ruins	Common suspicious gravel	1	2.2% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.022222222222222254, "structure": "Trail Ruins", "container": "Common suspicious gravel" }
	Ocean Ruins	Big ruins chest	1–4	78.9% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.7892910312294528, "structure": "Ocean Ruins", "container": "Big ruins chest" }
	Ocean Ruins	Small ruins chest	1–4	82.1% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.8206719358982734, "structure": "Ocean Ruins", "container": "Small ruins chest" }
	Village	Toolsmith's chest	1–3	9.9% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.0989873657501581, "structure": "Village", "container": "Toolsmith's chest" }
		Fisherman's chest	1–3	43% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.4299830488478805, "structure": "Village", "container": "Fisherman's chest" }
		Butcher's chest	1–3	27.9% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.27904475953099894, "structure": "Village", "container": "Butcher's chest" }
		Snowy house chest	1–4	41.2% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.4118208436710489, "structure": "Village", "container": "Snowy house chest" }
	Warm ocean ruins	Warm ruins suspicious sand	1	13.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.1333333333333333, "structure": "Warm ocean ruins", "container": "Warm ruins suspicious sand" }
	Woodland Mansion	Chest	1–4	19.7% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.1966920449812577, "structure": "Woodland Mansion", "container": "Chest" }
Bedrock Edition
Coal	Monster Room	Chest	1–4	26.6% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.26610816000000004, "structure": "Monster Room", "container": "Chest" }
	Abandoned Camp	Barrel	2–4	35.5% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "2–4", "chance": 0.35542388369628897, "structure": "Abandoned Camp", "container": "Barrel" }
	Mineshaft	Chest not located in a sulfur cave	3–8	27.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "3–8", "chance": 0.27314935357988357, "structure": "Mineshaft", "container": "Chest not located in a sulfur cave" }
	Ancient City	Chest	6–15	47.4% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "6–15", "chance": 0.4735347641052928, "structure": "Ancient City", "container": "Chest" }
	Cold Ocean Ruins	Cold ruins suspicious gravel	1	13.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.1333333333333333, "structure": "Cold Ocean Ruins", "container": "Cold ruins suspicious gravel" }
	Igloo	Chest	1–4	70.4% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.7036114467820859, "structure": "Igloo", "container": "Chest" }
	Mineshaft	Chest located in a sulfur cave	3–8	27.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "3–8", "chance": 0.27314935357988357, "structure": "Mineshaft", "container": "Chest located in a [[sulfur cave]]" }
	Shipwreck	Supply chest	2–8	37.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "2–8", "chance": 0.3733254862763913, "structure": "Shipwreck", "container": "Supply chest" }
	Stronghold	Storeroom chest	3–8	28.5% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "3–8", "chance": 0.2845331813431661, "structure": "Stronghold", "container": "Storeroom chest" }
	Trail Ruins	Common suspicious gravel	1	2.2% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.022222222222222254, "structure": "Trail Ruins", "container": "Common suspicious gravel" }
	Ocean Ruins	Small ruins chest	1–4	82.1% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.8206719358982734, "structure": "Ocean Ruins", "container": "Small ruins chest" }
	Ocean Ruins	Big ruins chest	1–4	78.9% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.7892910312294528, "structure": "Ocean Ruins", "container": "Big ruins chest" }
	Village	Snowy house chest	1–4	41.2% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.4118208436710489, "structure": "Village", "container": "Snowy house chest" }
		Toolsmith's chest	1–3	9.9% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.0989873657501581, "structure": "Village", "container": "Toolsmith's chest" }
		Butcher's chest	1–3	27.9% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–3", "chance": 0.27904475953099894, "structure": "Village", "container": "Butcher's chest" }
	Warm ocean ruins	Warm ruins suspicious sand	1	13.3% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": 1, "chance": 0.1333333333333333, "structure": "Warm ocean ruins", "container": "Warm ruins suspicious sand" }
	Woodland Mansion	Chest	1–4	24.9% { "item": "Coal", "stacksize": "1–4", "chance": 0.2485901539399482, "structure": "Woodland Mansion", "container": "Chest" }

Crafting

Name	Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Coal	Block of Coal	9

Smelting

Ingredients	Smelting recipe
Coal Ore or Deepslate Coal Ore + Any fuel	0.1

Usage

Crafting ingredient

Name	Ingredients	Crafting recipe
Block of Coal	Coal
Campfire	Stick + Coal + Any Log or Stem or Any Stripped Log or Stem or Any Wood or Hyphae or Any Stripped Wood or Hyphae
Copper Torch	Copper Nugget + Coal + Stick	4
Fire Charge	Blaze Powder + Coal + Gunpowder	3
Soul Torch	Coal + Stick + Soul Soil or Soul Sand	4
Torch	Coal + Stick	4

Fuel

When used in a furnace as a fuel, a piece of coal lasts 80 seconds (smelting up to 8 items), like charcoal. Coal used as fuel lasts more than 5 times longer than wood planks or wood logs used as fuel, being more efficient than any other use of wood for smelting in Java Edition, but outlasted by wooden slabs in Bedrock Edition. Though when smelting large amounts of items, converting the coal into a Block of Coal is even more efficient since 1 block of coal is made out of 9 coal but lasts 10 times as long as coal.

Coal and charcoal are also the only fuels accepted by furnace minecarts. They provide three minutes of transit each.

Trading

Villager		Probability		Villager wants	Player receives	Trades in stock	Villager experience	Price multiplier
Villager		JE	BE	Villager wants	Player receives	Trades in stock	Villager experience	Price multiplier
Butcher	Apprentice	67%	100%	15 × Coal	Emerald	16	2	0.05
Fisherman	Novice	50%	50%	10 × Coal	Emerald	16	2	0.05
Armorer	Novice	40%	100%	15 × Coal	Emerald	16	2	0.05
Toolsmith	Novice	40%	100%	15 × Coal	Emerald	16	2	0.05
Weaponsmith	Novice	67%	100%	15 × Coal	Emerald	16	2	0.05

Java Edition Indev
0.31	20100128-2200	Added coal.
	20100128-2200	Mining coal ore blocks drops 2-5 pieces of coal.
	20100129-1447	Coal can be used to craft torches.
	20100201-2227	Mining coal ore now drops 1 piece of coal (down from 2-5).
20100219		The texture of coal has been changed. It is now more centered.
Java Edition Beta
1.8	Pre-release	Coal can now be found in the new mineshaft chests and stronghold storeroom chests.
Java Edition
1.0.0	Beta 1.9 Prerelease 6	Coal can be now obtained by smelting coal ore.
1.2.1	12w04a	Coal can now be used to craft fire charges.
1.3.1	12w21a	Blacksmith and butcher villagers now buy 16–23 of either coal or charcoal for 1 emerald.
1.3.1	1.3	The texture of coal has been changed.
1.4.2	12w36a	Coal is now dropped by wither skeletons, making it renewable.
1.6.1	13w18a	Coal can now be used to craft blocks of coal.
1.8	14w02a	Fisherman, armorer, tool smith, weapon smith and butcher villagers now buy 16–24 coal for 1 emerald.
1.9	15w43a	Coal may now be found in igloo basement chests.
1.9	15w44a	The average yield of coal from mineshaft chests has been decreased, and added to dungeon chests.
1.11	16w39a	Coal can now be found in the new woodland mansion chests.
1.13	18w09a	Coal can now be found in the loot chests of ocean ruins.
1.13	18w11a	Coal now generates in shipwreck chests.
1.14	18w43a	The texture of coal has been changed.
	18w48a	Coal can now be found in chests in village fishing cottages.
	18w49a	Coal can now be found in chests in village butcher shops and snowy village houses.
	18w50a	Coal can now be found in chests in village toolsmith houses.
	19w02a	Coal can now be used to craft campfires. Destroying a campfire returns 2 charcoal.
	19w11a	Armorer, butcher, toolsmith and weaponsmith villagers now buy 15 coal for 1 emerald.
	19w11a	Fisherman villagers now buy 10 coal for 1 emerald.
1.16	20w06a	Coal can now be used to craft soul torches.
1.19	22w13a	Coal may now be found in ancient city chests.
1.20	23w12a	Coal can now be found in suspicious gravel and suspicious sand in cold and warm ocean ruins and in trail ruins.
	23w16a	Coal no longer generates in suspicious sand in trail ruins.
	23w16a	Due to the split of the archaeological loot tables for the suspicious gravel within the trail ruins; coal now is in the common loot.
1.21.9	25w32a	Coal can now be used to craft copper torches.
26.3	snap1	Coal can now be found in abandoned camps in barrels.

Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.3.0		Added coal.
v0.3.0		Coal can be used to craft torches.
v0.8.0	build 1	The texture of coal has been changed.
v0.8.0	build 1	Coal can now be crafted to make a block of coal.
v0.12.1	build 1	Coal is now dropped by wither skeletons.
v0.14.0	build 1	Coal can now be found inside chest minecarts in mineshafts.
v0.15.0	build 1	Coal is now used to craft fire charges.
Pocket Edition
1.0.0	alpha 0.17.0.1	Coal can now be found in the stronghold storeroom chests.
1.0.0	alpha 0.17.0.1	Coal may now be found in igloo basement chests.
1.0.4	alpha 1.0.4.0	Fisherman, armorer, toolsmith, weaponsmith and butcher villagers now buy 16–24 coal for 1 emerald.
1.1.0	alpha 1.1.0.0	Coal is now found in woodland mansion chests.
Bedrock Edition
1.4.0	beta 1.2.14.2	Coal can now be found inside shipwreck chests.
1.4.0	beta 1.2.20.1	Coal can now be found inside underwater ruins chests.
1.10.0	beta 1.10.0.3	Coal can now be used to craft campfires. Destroying a campfire returns 2 charcoal.
1.10.0	beta 1.10.0.3	The texture of coal has been changed.
1.11.0	beta 1.11.0.1	Coal can now be found in snowy tundra village house chests and in village butcher and toolsmith chests.
	beta 1.11.0.4	Armorer, weaponsmith, toolsmith, and butcher villagers now buy 15 coal for an emerald.
	beta 1.11.0.4	Fishermen villagers now have a 50% chance to buy 10 coal for an emerald as part of their first tier trade.
1.16.0	beta 1.16.0.51	Coal can now used to craft soul torches.
1.21.111	Preview 1.21.110.23	Coal can now be used to craft copper torches.
26.40 Experiment Drop 3 of 2026	Preview 26.40.27	Coal can now be found in abandoned camps in barrels.
26.50	Preview 26.50.22	All features from the "Drop 3 of 2026" experiment have been fully implemented.

Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
TU1	CU1	1.00	1.00	1.00	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added coal.
TU9		1.00					The texture of coal has been changed.
TU14		1.04					Blacksmith and butcher villagers now buy 16–23 of either coal or charcoal for 1 emerald.
TU19	CU7	1.12	1.12	1.12			Coal is now dropped by wither skeletons, making it renewable.
TU19	CU7	1.12	1.12	1.12			Coal can now be used to craft blocks of coal.
TU31	CU19	1.22	1.22	1.22	Patch 3		Fisherman, armorer, tool smith, weapon smith and butcher villagers now buy 16–24 coal for 1 emerald.
TU43	CU33	1.36	1.36	1.36	Patch 13		Coal may now be found in igloo basement chests.
TU54	CU44	1.52	1.52	1.52	Patch 24	1.0.4	Coal can now be found in the new woodland mansion chests.
TU69		1.76	1.76	1.76	Patch 38		Coal can now be found inside shipwreck chests.
TU69		1.76	1.76	1.76	Patch 38		Coal can now be found inside underwater ruins chests.
			1.90				The texture of coal has been changed.
			1.91				Coal can now be used to craft campfires. Destroying a campfire returns 2 charcoal.
							Armorer, weaponsmith, toolsmith, and butcher villagers now buy 15 coal for an emerald.
							Fishermen villagers now have a chance to buy 10 coal for an emerald as part of their first tier trade.

New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0							Added coal.
1.9.19							Coal can now be found in the new woodland mansion chests.

Java Edition
1.13			17w47a				The different data values for the `coal` ID have been split up into their own IDs.
1.13			17w47a				Prior to The Flattening, this item's numeral ID was 263.

Coal

Obtaining

Mining

Mob loot

Generated loot

Crafting

Smelting

Usage

Crafting ingredient

Fuel

Trading

Data values

ID

Videos

History

Development

Java Edition

Bedrock Edition

Legacy Console Edition

New Nintendo 3DS Edition

Data history

Issues

Gallery

In other media

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