American Business Merit Badge History
Introduced1967
Preceded byBusiness
StatusActive
Earned through 202061,953
Best year20204,967 earned
All-time popularity#164official, as of 2020#165by 2025 (estimate)
The Story
The American Business merit badge is one of the least earned merit badges, finding itself in the bottom 10 of all merit badges earned for most of the 2000s and 2010s.
Trivia
Timeline
1967 The American Business merit badge is introduced. The first American Business merit badges are earned: 2,107 that year.
1968 The earliest known American Business pamphlet printing (Type 7A).
2020 All-time high: 4,967 American Business merit badges earned. Best ranking: 71st of 137 merit badges.
Merit Badge Patches
Select a patch to enlarge it; many include the back.
- Not known to existType F1967 - 1968
- Type G1961 - 1971cloth back
- Type H1972 - 2002blue, clear, and molded
- Type I1993 - 199538mm and 42mm
- Type J2002 - 2009Scout Stuff back
- Type K2010 - 2014BSA 2010 back
- Type L2015 - 2025Since 1910 back
- Type M2025 - currentScouting America back
What do the patch types mean?
- Type F
- Rolled edge twill (1961 - 1968). The embroidered border is rolled over the edge instead of crimped, with a gauze backing.
- Type G
- Cloth back (1961 - 1971). Fully embroidered with a cloth back. By about 1969 every merit badge was made this way.
- Type H
- Plastic back (1972 - 2002). A plastic stiffener on the back. Collectors tell them apart by the back, which can be clear, white, or a very light blue plastic, with waffle-textured and smooth molded versions. These are sorted into variations H1 through H5.
- Type I
- Computer designed (1993 - 1995). Flat-edged badges with machine (computer) embroidery and a wider border. Only some badges were made this way.
- Type J
- Scout Stuff back (2002 - 2009). The "Scout Stuff" Supply Division logo printed on the back.
- Type K
- BSA 100th anniversary back (2010 - 2014). The BSA 2010 anniversary logo printed on the back.
- Type L
- Since 1910 back (2015 - 2025). The "Since 1910" logo printed on the back, in large and small logo versions.
- Type M
- Scouting America back (2025 - current). The Scouting America logo printed on the back. Wildland Fire Management and Competitive Gaming, both new in 2026, start with Type M.
Dates are approximate and can vary by badge.
Merit Badge Pamphlets
The printings come from Scoutmaster Bucky's own collection and research.
Select a cover to see its back covers and every known printing.
43 printings:42 in collection1 confirmed, not in collection
- Type 7A1968 - 1969
- Type 7B1970
- Type 8A1973 - 1974
- Type 8B1975 - 1978
- Type 9A-11980 - 1992
- Type 9A-21994 - 1997
- Type 9A-31998 - 2001
- Type 9B2002 - 2006
- Type 10A2008
Type 10B2009- Type 10C-1A2010 - 2011
- Type 10C-1B2013
- Type 10D-12015
- Type 10D-22017 - 2023
- Photo neededType 11A2025
Type 7A 1968 - 19691 back · 3 printings · 3 in collection
back 71968 - 1969 · No. 3325
- 1968 Nov · 10M
- 1969 Mar · 5M
- 1969 Nov · 5MHard cover HCN
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 7B 19701 back · 1 printing · 1 in collection
back 71970 · No. 3325
- 1970 Sep · 7.5MHard cover HCM, HCR
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 8A 1973 - 19741 back · 2 printings · 2 in collection
No photo
back 8A-11973 - 1974 · No. 3325
- 1973 Jul · 3MHard cover HCSV2
- 1974 Feb · 5MHard cover HCT
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 8B 1975 - 19782 backs · 4 printings · 4 in collection
back 8C-11975 - 1977 · No. 3325
- 1975 Jun · 4MHard cover HCT
- 1976 Mar · 4M
- 1977 Jan · 4M
back 8D1978 · No. 3325
- 1978 Jan · 3.8M
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 9A-1 1980 - 19925 backs · 13 printings · 13 in collection
back 9A1980 - 1984 · No. 3325
- 1980 Apr · 2M
- 1981 Jan · 2.8M
- 1981 Dec · 2.5M
- 1983 Feb · 2.2M
- 1984 Feb · 2M
back 9B-11984 · No. 3325
- 1984 Nov · 3M
back 9B-21986 - 1990 · No. 3325
- 1986 Jan · 2.5M
- 1986 Sep · 3M
- 1988 Jan · 3M
- 1989 Mar · 2.5M
- 1990 Feb · 2.5M
back 9C-11991 · No. 3325
- 1991 Apr · 2.5M
back 9C-21992 · No. 33325
- 1992 Apr · 3M
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 9A-2 1994 - 19971 back · 2 printings · 2 in collection
back 9D1994 - 1997 · No. 33325
- 1994 Apr · 2M
- 1997 Sep
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 9A-3 1998 - 20012 backs · 4 printings · 4 in collection
back 9E1998 · No. 33325
- 1998 Sep
back 9F1998 - 2001 · No. 33325
- 19982nd printing
- 2000
- 2001
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 9B 2002 - 20061 back · 4 printings · 4 in collection
back 9G2002 - 2006 · No. 33325A
- 2002listed as 2002 Edition
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 10A 20081 back · 1 printing · 1 in collection
back 1008B12008 · No. 35850
- 2008
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 10C-1A 2010 - 20111 back · 2 printings · 2 in collection
back 1010B12010 - 2011 · No. 35850
- 2010
- 2011
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 10C-1B 20131 back · 1 printing · 1 in collection
back 1013B12013 · No. 35850
- 201301268-AL
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 10D-1 20151 back · 1 printing · 1 in collection
No photo
back 1015B12015 · No. 35850
- 201501268-PSF
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 10D-2 2017 - 20232 backs · 4 printings · 4 in collection
back 1016B12017 · No. 637682
- 201700358-AL
- 2017358
back 1019B12020 - 2023
- 2020No. 654410358
- 2023No. 660202358
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Type 11A 20251 back · 1 printing · 0 in collection
No photo
back 11252025 · No. 35850 / 660202 / 300079976
- 20250358n
In collectionConfirmed, not in collectionUnconfirmed: not yet seen, may not existM = thousand copies, as printed on the pamphlet.
Hard Cover Varieties
Earned by Year
First earned in 1967. Peak year 2020 with 4,967. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.
Known count No data available
"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#104 of 141" means the badge was number 104 of the 141 merit badges earned that year. National counts have not been published since 2020, but the rankings have. The grand total comes from official reports and includes the years without a known count. The 2025 all-time place is an estimate, because the counts for 2021 to 2025 are worked out from each year's official ranking and the total number of merit badges earned that year.
19672,107#82 of 112
19681,715#87 of 112
19691,415#101 of 113
19701,595#94 of 113
19711,222#102 of 113
19721,618#104 of 124
19733,272#84 of 122
19742,180#110 of 121
19751,920#115 of 128
19761,816#113 of 130
19771,571#115 of 130
19781,332#112 of 131
19791,081#109 of 132
1980657#111 of 132
19811,247#101 of 134
1982—
1983—
1984—
1985—
1986—
1987—
1988—
1989—
1990—
1991—
1992—
19931,442#107 of 123
1994—
1995—
1996813#114 of 134
1997—
1998—
1999—
2000810#115 of 128
2001608#119 of 129
2002719#118 of 129
2003669#120 of 130
2004917#118 of 121
2005541#121 of 121
2006717#118 of 121
2007539#121 of 121
2008494#120 of 121
2009685#119 of 122
2010667#123 of 125
2011707#117 of 129
2012679#116 of 132
2013805#99 of 129
2014650#135 of 136
2015587#137 of 138
2016627#136 of 138
2017613#136 of 139
2018551#136 of 139
20191,468#128 of 139
20204,967#71 of 137
2021—#118 of 137
2022—#121 of 138
2023—#112 of 138
2024—#101 of 138
2025—#104 of 141
Grand total through 2020: