Machinery Merit Badge History

Earned through 2003175,322

Best year19565,384 earned

All-time popularity#115official, as of 2020#121by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1912. Peak year 1956 with 5,384. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

19110 earned

191225 earned#23 of 51

191373 earned#24 of 56

1914186 earned#20 of 58

1915177 earned#22 of 58

1916215 earned#22 of 56

1917326 earned#23 of 58

1918349 earned#24 of 58

1919751 earned#27 of 59

1920633 earned#26 of 59

19211,103 earned#26 of 61

19221,557 earned#25 of 61

19231,410 earned#27 of 63

1924788 earned#37 of 64

1925792 earned#39 of 64

19261,182 earned#41 of 65

19271,345 earned#47 of 68

19281,545 earned#60 of 88

19291,482 earned#55 of 89

19301,614 earned#56 of 92

19312,455 earned#48 of 96

19322,541 earned#44 of 98

19332,715 earned#45 of 101

19342,486 earned#47 of 101

19352,834 earned#47 of 101

19362,454 earned#48 of 101

19372,395 earned#48 of 102

19383,015 earned#46 of 105

19393,501 earned#46 of 106

19403,318 earned#46 of 106

19412,954 earned#45 of 106

19423,161 earned#39 of 110

19433,973 earned#39 of 112

19444,825 earned#37 of 111

19454,662 earned#40 of 111

19463,505 earned#43 of 111

19473,052 earned#44 of 111

19483,071 earned#43 of 111

19493,216 earned#47 of 111

19503,516 earned#47 of 111

19513,845 earned#51 of 111

19523,839 earned#55 of 120

19533,377 earned#55 of 105

19544,728 earned#49 of 103

19555,162 earned#49 of 100

19565,384 earned#47 of 100

19575,202 earned#48 of 100

19584,177 earned#52 of 101

19593,389 earned#63 of 101

19602,827 earned#69 of 100

19612,379 earned#72 of 101

19622,208 earned#73 of 101

19631,918 earned#78 of 102

19642,103 earned#77 of 107

19651,613 earned#85 of 109

19661,610 earned#89 of 110

19671,533 earned#92 of 112

19681,464 earned#93 of 112

19691,579 earned#94 of 113

19701,747 earned#89 of 113

19711,829 earned#88 of 113

19722,229 earned#93 of 124

19732,686 earned#91 of 122

19743,346 earned#95 of 121

19752,869 earned#101 of 128

19762,686 earned#100 of 130

19771,984 earned#109 of 130

19782,034 earned#99 of 131

19791,116 earned#108 of 132

1980672 earned#108 of 132

19811,086 earned#111 of 134

1982No data available

1983No data available

1984No data available

1985No data available

1986No data available

1987No data available

1988No data available

1989No data available

1990No data available

1991No data available

1992No data available

19931,169 earned#116 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

1996212 earned#118 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

2000541 earned#120 of 128

20016 earned#128 of 129

20020 earned

200312 earned#128 of 130

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#128 of 130" means the badge was number 128 of the 130 merit badges earned that year. 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.

19110none earned

191225#23 of 51

191373#24 of 56

1914186#20 of 58

1915177#22 of 58

1916215#22 of 56

1917326#23 of 58

1918349#24 of 58

1919751#27 of 59

1920633#26 of 59

19211,103#26 of 61

19221,557#25 of 61

19231,410#27 of 63

1924788#37 of 64

1925792#39 of 64

19261,182#41 of 65

19271,345#47 of 68

19281,545#60 of 88

19291,482#55 of 89

19301,614#56 of 92

19312,455#48 of 96

19322,541#44 of 98

19332,715#45 of 101

19342,486#47 of 101

19352,834#47 of 101

19362,454#48 of 101

19372,395#48 of 102

19383,015#46 of 105

19393,501#46 of 106

19403,318#46 of 106

19412,954#45 of 106

19423,161#39 of 110

19433,973#39 of 112

19444,825#37 of 111

19454,662#40 of 111

19463,505#43 of 111

19473,052#44 of 111

19483,071#43 of 111

19493,216#47 of 111

19503,516#47 of 111

19513,845#51 of 111

19523,839#55 of 120

19533,377#55 of 105

19544,728#49 of 103

19555,162#49 of 100

19565,384#47 of 100

19575,202#48 of 100

19584,177#52 of 101

19593,389#63 of 101

19602,827#69 of 100

19612,379#72 of 101

19622,208#73 of 101

19631,918#78 of 102

19642,103#77 of 107

19651,613#85 of 109

19661,610#89 of 110

19671,533#92 of 112

19681,464#93 of 112

19691,579#94 of 113

19701,747#89 of 113

19711,829#88 of 113

19722,229#93 of 124

19732,686#91 of 122

19743,346#95 of 121

19752,869#101 of 128

19762,686#100 of 130

19771,984#109 of 130

19782,034#99 of 131

19791,116#108 of 132

1980672#108 of 132

19811,086#111 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

19931,169#116 of 123

1994—

1995—

1996212#118 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

2000541#120 of 128

20016#128 of 129

20020none earned

200312#128 of 130

Grand total through 2003:

This page keeps growing. More of this badge's history, including its patches and pamphlets, is being checked and will be added once it is confirmed.

Machinery: workbook data

Printings (64)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	HC	Notes
c	1919		1C					hb 20th edition reference
x	1920		2					20c Wireless
	1921	not made
	1922	not made
	1923		2					15c Radio
c	1924		2					15c Radio
c	1925		3A over 2					1924 printing
	1925		3A
c	1926		3A
x	1927		3A
	1928	not made
	1929		3B
x	1929	October	3B
	1930	April	3B
x	1931	April	3B
c	1932	September	3B		1M
	1933	not made
	1934	February	3B
x	1935	March	3B		1M
x	1936	March	3B		1M
x	1937	November	3B		1M
x	1938	October	3C		1M
c	1939	December	3B		1M
x	1939	December	3C		1M
	1940	not made
x	1941	April	3C		3M
x	1941	April	4		3M
	1942	not made
x	1943	September	4		2M
x	1944	May	5A		1M
x	1945	February	5B		2M		HCD
x	1945	September	5B		3M
	1946	not made
c	1947	July	5B		2M
	1948	not made
x	1949	February	5B		2M		HCF
x	1950	April	5B		2M
x	1951	May	5B		2M		HCH
x	1952	May	5B		2M
x	1953	May	6		2M
x	1954	May	6		3M
x	1955	January	6		4M
x	1956	June	6		5M
x	1956	December	6		5M	1956
	1957	not made
x	1958	January	6		5M	1956	HCJV1
x	1959	February	6		5M	1956
x	1960	May	6		5M	1956	HCJ
	1961	not made
x	1962	October	6		5M	1956
	1963	not made
x	1964	July	6		3M	1956	HCP
x	1965	July	6		3M	1956	HCK
x	1966	November	7A		3M	1956	HCL
	1967	not made
x	1968	January	7A		3M	1956
c	1969	January	7A		3M	1956	HCL
x	1969	November	7A		3.2M	1956	HCL
	1970	not made
x	1971	May	7A		2.5M	1956
x	1972	June	7B		2.5M	1956	HCSV1
x	1973	August	8		3.5M	1956
x	1974	May	8		4M	1956
x	1975	March	8		4M	1956
	1976	not made
x	1977	December	8		2.5M	1956
	1978	not made
x	1979	October	9A		1.5M
	1980	October	9A		1.5M
x	1981	July	9A		1.5M
	1982	not made
x	1983	January	9B		1.2M
	1983	December	9A		1.5M
	1984	not made
x	1985	March	9B	back-9b-2	1.5M	1956, 1984
x	1986	April	9B		1.2M	1956, 1984
x	1987	August	9B		2M	1956, 1984
x	1988	October	9B		2M	1956, 1984
	1989	not made
x	1990	February	9B		2M	1956, 1984
	1991	not made
x	1992	March	9B		2M	1956, 1984
	1993	not made
x	1994	October	9B		1M	1956, 1984
	1995	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1911	0
1912	25	23	51
1913	73	24	56
1914	186	20	58
1915	177	22	58
1916	215	22	56
1917	326	23	58
1918	349	24	58
1919	751	27	59
1920	633	26	59
1921	1,103	26	61
1922	1,557	25	61
1923	1,410	27	63
1924	788	37	64
1925	792	39	64
1926	1,182	41	65
1927	1,345	47	68
1928	1,545	60	88
1929	1,482	55	89
1930	1,614	56	92
1931	2,455	48	96
1932	2,541	44	98
1933	2,715	45	101
1934	2,486	47	101
1935	2,834	47	101
1936	2,454	48	101
1937	2,395	48	102
1938	3,015	46	105
1939	3,501	46	106
1940	3,318	46	106
1941	2,954	45	106
1942	3,161	39	110
1943	3,973	39	112
1944	4,825	37	111
1945	4,662	40	111
1946	3,505	43	111
1947	3,052	44	111
1948	3,071	43	111
1949	3,216	47	111
1950	3,516	47	111
1951	3,845	51	111
1952	3,839	55	120
1953	3,377	55	105
1954	4,728	49	103
1955	5,162	49	100
1956	5,384	47	100
1957	5,202	48	100
1958	4,177	52	101
1959	3,389	63	101
1960	2,827	69	100
1961	2,379	72	101
1962	2,208	73	101
1963	1,918	78	102
1964	2,103	77	107
1965	1,613	85	109
1966	1,610	89	110
1967	1,533	92	112
1968	1,464	93	112
1969	1,579	94	113
1970	1,747	89	113
1971	1,829	88	113
1972	2,229	93	124
1973	2,686	91	122
1974	3,346	95	121
1975	2,869	101	128
1976	2,686	100	130
1977	1,984	109	130
1978	2,034	99	131
1979	1,116	108	132
1980	672	108	132
1981	1,086	111	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	1,169	116	123
1994
1995
1996	212	118	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	541	120	128
2001	6	128	129
2002	0
2003	12	128	130