Coal Ore

Renewable	No
Stackable	Yes (64)
Tool
Blast resistance	3
Hardness	3
Luminant	No
Transparent	No
Flammable	No
Catches fire from lava	No

Coal ore is a mineral block that drops coal when mined.

Obtaining[edit]

Natural generation[edit]

Coal ore can generate in the Overworld in the form of mineral veins. Coal ore attempts to generate 20 times per chunk in veins of size 0-37, from levels 0 to 127, in all biomes. An average of 207 coal ore generates per chunk. Coal ore can replace stone, granite, diorite, and andesite. ‌In Java Edition 1.17‌^[upcoming], it can also replace tuff and deepslate.

‌In Java Edition 1.17‌^[upcoming], coal ore generates in two batches per chunk. The first batch attempts to generate 30 times per chunk in veins of 0-37, evenly from levels 136 to 320. The second batch attempts to generate 20 times per chunk in veins of 0-37, from levels 0 to 192, being most common at Y=96, and being less common as towards either end of the range. Coal ore in this second batch is also less likely to be exposed to air; 50% of ore veins^[verify] that would generate exposed do not generate.

Coal ore is also found in small amounts alongside underground fossils.

Breaking[edit]

Coal ore must be mined with any pickaxe, or else it drops nothing. If mined with a pickaxe, coal ore drops 1 coal (or more with Fortune). If mined with Silk Touch, the block drops itself instead.

Block	Coal Ore
Hardness	3
Tool
Breaking time^[A]
Default	15
Wooden	2.25
Stone	1.15
Iron	0.75
Diamond	0.6
Netherite	0.5
Golden	0.4

↑ Times are for unenchanted tools as wielded by players with no status effects, measured in seconds. For more information, see Breaking § Speed.

Usage[edit]

Smelting ingredient[edit]

Name	Ingredients	Smelting recipe
Coal	Coal Ore + Any fuel	0.1

Note Blocks[edit]

Coal ore can be placed under note blocks to produce "bass drum" sound.

Sounds[edit]

Java Edition:

Subtitle	Source	Description	Namespaced ID	Translation key	Volume	Pitch	Attenuation distance
Block broken	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`block.stone.break`	`subtitles.block.generic.break`	1.0	0.8	16
None^{[sound 1]}	Blocks	Falling on the block with fall damage	`block.stone.fall`	None^{[sound 1]}	0.5	0.75	16
Block breaking	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`block.stone.hit`	`subtitles.block.generic.hit`	0.25	0.5	16
Block placed	Blocks	When the block is placed	`block.stone.place`	`subtitles.block.generic.place`	1.0	0.8	16
Footsteps	Blocks	Walking on the block	`block.stone.step`	`subtitles.block.generic.footsteps`	0.15	1.0	16

↑ ^a ^b MC-177082

Bedrock Edition:

Sound	Source	Description	Namespaced ID	Volume	Pitch
	Blocks	Once the block has broken	`dig.stone`	1.0	0.8
	Blocks	Falling on the block with fall damage	`fall.stone`	0.4	1.0
	Blocks	While the block is in the process of being broken	`hit.stone`	0.37	0.5
?	Blocks	Jumping from the block	`jump.stone`	0.12	1.0
?	Blocks	Falling on the block without fall damage	`land.stone`	0.22	1.0
	Blocks	Walking on the block	`step.stone`	0.3	1.0
	Blocks	When the block is placed	`use.stone`	1.0	0.8

Data values[edit]

ID[edit]

Java Edition:

Name	Namespaced ID	Form	Translation key
Coal Ore	`coal_ore`	Block & Item	`block.minecraft.coal_ore`

Bedrock Edition:

Name	Namespaced ID	Numeric ID	Form	Translation key
Coal Ore	`coal_ore`	`16`	Block & Item	`tile.coal_ore.name`

History[edit]

Java Edition Classic
May 23, 2009					Notch says he accomplished adding coal veins in stone.
0.0.14a					Added coal ore.
0.0.14a					Mining coal ore currently drops the ore block.
0.26 SURVIVAL TEST					Mining an ore block now drops stone slabs.
0.28					Coal ore can be obtained in the creative inventory.
Java Edition Indev
0.31		20100129			When destroyed by hand, coal ore now yields one coal, but three when mined.^[1]
?					Coal ore now drops 1 piece of coal.
Java Edition Infdev
Minecraft Infdev		20100227-1			Coal ore no longer generates.
		20100320			Coal ore veins now generate, but differently.
		20100325			Ore veins now appear more like they do today.
		20100327			Coal ore now regenerates after the world is reloaded, assuming that the positions of the ore blocks were replaced by stone.
		20100330			Coal ore no longer regenerates.
Java Edition
1.0.0		?			Coal ore can now be smelted to obtain coal.
1.3.1		12w22a			Coal ore now drops experience when mined.
1.10		16w20a			Coal ore can now be found in small amounts near fossils.
1.13		17w47a			Prior to The Flattening, this block's numeral ID was 16.
1.14		18w43a			The texture of coal ore has now been changed.
Upcoming Java Edition
1.17		21w07a			The texture of coal ore has now been changed.
		21w08a			The texture of coal ore has now been changed, again.
		21w10a			Added deepslate variant of coal ore.
					Tweaked the coal ore texture.
					Coal ore can no longer generate in fossils below Y=0.
Pocket Edition Alpha
v0.1.0					Added coal ore.
v0.3.2					Coal ore is now available in the creative inventory.
v0.12.1		build 1			Mining coal ore now drops experience orbs.
					Coal ore can now be collected with Silk Touch, dropping the block itself.
					Coal ore now drops extra coals with the Fortune enchantment.
Bedrock Edition
1.10.0		beta 1.10.0.3			The texture of coal ore has now been changed.
Upcoming Bedrock Edition
1.16.220		beta 1.16.220.50			The texture of coal ore has been changed.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.0	Patch 1	1.0.1	Added coal ore.
		1.90			The texture of coal ore has now been changed.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0					Added coal ore.