Coal Ore

Transparent	No
Luminance	0
Blast resistance	15
Tool
Renewable	No
Stackable	Yes (64)
Flammable	No
Experience	Mined: 0–2 Smelted: 0.1
Drops	Coal (1)
Data value	dec: 16 hex: 10 bin: 10000
Name	coal_ore

This article is about the coal ore. For the usable lump obtained from it, see Coal.

	“	Veins of coal ore vary in size - you might only find a few blocks together close to the surface, but underground you'll find much bigger clumps - especially if there's a fossil in the neighbourhood.	„
		— Duncan Geere^[1]

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

Obtaining[edit]

The coal ore block itself (rather than its coal drops) can be obtained by mining it with a pickaxe with the Silk Touch enchantment.

Block	Coal Ore
Hardness	3
Tool
Breaking time^{[note 1]}
Hand	15
Wooden	2.25
Stone	1.15
Iron	0.75
Diamond	0.6
Golden	0.4

↑ Times are for unenchanted tools in seconds. For more information, see Haste § Instant mining.

Natural generation[edit]

Coal ore is generated naturally in veins between stone blocks, much like other ores. It is a common sight on almost all maps, and can be found at almost any elevation, from cliff faces, through underground caves and sea bottoms, down to bedrock. On average, there are about 142.6 coal ore per chunk. It is the only ore to appear well above sea level; coal ore comprises about 1% of all stone, regardless of altitude. Coal veins can vary greatly in size — mountaintop deposits are usually five blocks at most, but underground ones are generally at least ten blocks, and can range up to 64.

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

Usage[edit]

Coal ore drops 1 piece of coal and 0 to 2 experience when mined with any pickaxe. Mining with a Fortune enchanted pickaxe will increase yields by 1 per level (up to 4 with level 3)

Smelting ingredient[edit]

Name	Ingredients	Smelting recipe
Coal	Coal Ore + Any fuel

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 the coal ore originally dropped the ore block.
0.27 SURVIVAL TEST				Mining an ore block now drops stone slabs.
0.28				Coal ore can be obtained in Creative inventory.
Java Edition Indev
0.31			?	When destroyed by hand, coal ore will yield only one coal, but three when mined.^[2]
Java Edition Infdev
February 27, 2010				Coal ore no longer generates.
?				Coal ore veins now generate, but differently.
March 27, 2010				Ore veins now appear more like they do today.
March 27, 2010				Coal ore will regenerate after the world is reloaded, assuming that the positions of the ore blocks were replaced by stone.
March 30, 2010				Coal ore no longer regenerates.
Java Edition
1.3.1			12w22a	Coal ore now drops experience when mined.
1.3.1			12w22a	Inventory sprites for blocks were flipped from left to right, changing to .
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.
Upcoming Java Edition
1.14			18w43a	Changed the texture of coal ore.
Pocket Edition Alpha
0.1.0				Added coal ore.
0.12.1			?	Coal ore now drops experience points when smelted.
0.12.1			?	Now obtainable in survival using silk touch enchantment.
Bedrock Edition
1.10.0			beta 1.10.0.3	Changed the texture of coal ore.
Legacy Console Edition
TU1	CU1	1.0	Patch 1	Added coal ore.
New Nintendo 3DS Edition
0.1.0				Added Coal Ore.