Metalwork Merit Badge History

Earned through 20201,202,235

Best year200029,399 earned

All-time popularity#39official, as of 2020#38by 2025 (estimate)

Earned by Year

First earned in 1928. Peak year 2000 with 29,399. Hover over or tap a year for its numbers.

1927No data available

19284,659 earned#30 of 88

19295,811 earned#26 of 89

19306,568 earned#25 of 92

19318,071 earned#24 of 96

19328,347 earned#23 of 98

19339,694 earned#24 of 101

19348,686 earned#24 of 101

193510,138 earned#23 of 101

19369,244 earned#23 of 101

193710,105 earned#23 of 102

193812,864 earned#20 of 105

193914,016 earned#21 of 106

194014,320 earned#20 of 106

194112,847 earned#19 of 106

194210,939 earned#19 of 110

19439,687 earned#23 of 112

194411,763 earned#22 of 111

194512,296 earned#21 of 111

194610,799 earned#21 of 111

194710,286 earned#21 of 111

19489,875 earned#21 of 111

194911,121 earned#21 of 111

195012,913 earned#21 of 111

195114,752 earned#20 of 111

195214,694 earned#21 of 120

19538,009 earned#32 of 105

19548,677 earned#34 of 103

19558,106 earned#36 of 100

19568,010 earned#38 of 100

19577,467 earned#38 of 100

19587,343 earned#39 of 101

19597,045 earned#41 of 101

19608,064 earned#43 of 100

19618,720 earned#43 of 101

19628,685 earned#44 of 101

19639,009 earned#42 of 102

19648,775 earned#44 of 107

19659,186 earned#41 of 109

19668,860 earned#42 of 110

19679,668 earned#44 of 112

19689,924 earned#43 of 112

19699,972 earned#45 of 113

197013,325 earned#35 of 113

197113,600 earned#33 of 113

197217,180 earned#27 of 124

197317,209 earned#31 of 122

197424,358 earned#33 of 121

197524,155 earned#34 of 128

197619,968 earned#35 of 130

197717,638 earned#35 of 130

197815,577 earned#35 of 131

197912,805 earned#37 of 132

19809,137 earned#35 of 132

198113,262 earned#35 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

199316,562 earned#33 of 123

1994No data available

1995No data available

199620,626 earned#31 of 134

1997No data available

1998No data available

1999No data available

200029,399 earned#25 of 128

200129,179 earned#26 of 129

200219,294 earned#36 of 129

200311,575 earned#52 of 130

200410,402 earned#54 of 121

20059,362 earned#52 of 121

20069,625 earned#53 of 121

200710,683 earned#48 of 121

200810,070 earned#49 of 121

200912,272 earned#47 of 122

201011,597 earned#47 of 125

201112,790 earned#46 of 129

201213,674 earned#42 of 132

201313,259 earned#32 of 129

201412,949 earned#46 of 136

201512,340 earned#47 of 138

201612,639 earned#45 of 138

201712,990 earned#40 of 139

201812,768 earned#41 of 139

201912,586 earned#41 of 139

20204,273 earned#80 of 137

2021No data available#35 of 137

2022No data available#42 of 138

2023No data available#38 of 138

2024No data available#36 of 138

2025No data available#36 of 141

Known count No data available

"—" means merit badges were earned that year but the exact number is not currently known. "#36 of 141" means the badge was number 36 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.

1927—

19284,659#30 of 88

19295,811#26 of 89

19306,568#25 of 92

19318,071#24 of 96

19328,347#23 of 98

19339,694#24 of 101

19348,686#24 of 101

193510,138#23 of 101

19369,244#23 of 101

193710,105#23 of 102

193812,864#20 of 105

193914,016#21 of 106

194014,320#20 of 106

194112,847#19 of 106

194210,939#19 of 110

19439,687#23 of 112

194411,763#22 of 111

194512,296#21 of 111

194610,799#21 of 111

194710,286#21 of 111

19489,875#21 of 111

194911,121#21 of 111

195012,913#21 of 111

195114,752#20 of 111

195214,694#21 of 120

19538,009#32 of 105

19548,677#34 of 103

19558,106#36 of 100

19568,010#38 of 100

19577,467#38 of 100

19587,343#39 of 101

19597,045#41 of 101

19608,064#43 of 100

19618,720#43 of 101

19628,685#44 of 101

19639,009#42 of 102

19648,775#44 of 107

19659,186#41 of 109

19668,860#42 of 110

19679,668#44 of 112

19689,924#43 of 112

19699,972#45 of 113

197013,325#35 of 113

197113,600#33 of 113

197217,180#27 of 124

197317,209#31 of 122

197424,358#33 of 121

197524,155#34 of 128

197619,968#35 of 130

197717,638#35 of 130

197815,577#35 of 131

197912,805#37 of 132

19809,137#35 of 132

198113,262#35 of 134

1982—

1983—

1984—

1985—

1986—

1987—

1988—

1989—

1990—

1991—

1992—

199316,562#33 of 123

1994—

1995—

199620,626#31 of 134

1997—

1998—

1999—

200029,399#25 of 128

200129,179#26 of 129

200219,294#36 of 129

200311,575#52 of 130

200410,402#54 of 121

20059,362#52 of 121

20069,625#53 of 121

200710,683#48 of 121

200810,070#49 of 121

200912,272#47 of 122

201011,597#47 of 125

201112,790#46 of 129

201213,674#42 of 132

201313,259#32 of 129

201412,949#46 of 136

201512,340#47 of 138

201612,639#45 of 138

201712,990#40 of 139

201812,768#41 of 139

201912,586#41 of 139

20204,273#80 of 137

2021—#35 of 137

2022—#42 of 138

2023—#38 of 138

2024—#36 of 138

2025—#36 of 141

Grand total through 2020:

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.

Metalwork: workbook data

Printings (94)

Have	Year	Month	Cover	Back	Run	©	HC	Notes
c	1920		2					craftsmanship-metal
	1921	not made
c	1922		2					craftsmanship-metal 15c Wireless
	1923	not made
	1924	not made
x	1925		3A-1 over 2					craftsmanship-metal 1922 printing
c	1925		3A-1					craftsmanship-metal
x	1926		3A-1					craftsmanship-metal
c	1926		3A-2					craftsmanship-metal
x	1927		3A-2					craftsmanship-metal
	1928	not made
c	1929		3A-2					pasted?
x	1930	February	3B
c	1930	August	3B			1930
x	1931	March	3B			1930
c	1932	March	3B		1M	1930
x	1933	December	3B		1M	1930
c	1934	August	3B		1M	1930
x	1935	August	3B		1M	1930
x	1936	July	3B		1M	1930
x	1937	May	3C		1M
c	1938	April	3C		2M
x	1938	April	3D		2M
x	1939	April	3D		2M
x	1939	September	3D		2M
	1940	not made
x	1941	March	3D		2M
x	1942	May	3B		2M
x	1942	May	3D		2M	1942
	1943	not made
x	1944	March	5A		2.5M	1942
x	1945	February	5B		2.5M	1942
x	1945	September	5B		2M
x	1946	May	5B		3M
	1947	not made
x	1948	January	5B		2M
x	1949	January	5B		2M
x	1950	January	5B		2M
x	1951	January	5B		2M		HCH
x	1951	August	5B		3M
x	1952	September	6A		5M	1952
x	1953	September	6B		3M	1952
x	1954	May	6B		5M	1952
x	1955	April	6B		6M	1952
x	1956	November	6B		5M	1952
x	1957	September	6B		5M	1952
	1958	not made
x	1959	May	6B		4.5M	1952	HCJV1
x	1960	May	6B		45C	1952
x	1961	April	6B		4.2M	1952	HCP
x	1962	September	6B		4M	1952	HCJ
x	1963	June	6B		4M	1952
x	1964	May	6B		5M	1952
x	1965	April	6B		5.5M	1952	HCK
x	1966	March	6B		6.5M	1952	HCL, HCP
x	1967	May	6B		6M	1952
x	1968	November	7A		5M	1952	HCL
x	1969	December	7B		6M	1969	HCL
x	1970	November	7B		5.5M	1969	HCL
x	1971	July	7B		7M	1969	HCM
x	1972	May	7B		7M	1969
x	1973	June	8		7M	1969	HCSV2, HCT
x	1974	January	8		12M	1969
x	1975	February	8		10M	1969
	1976	not made
x	1977	February	8		6.2M	1969
x	1978	April	8		4.8M	1969
	1979	not made
x	1980	February	9A		4M	1969
x	1981	February	9A		4M	1969
x	1982	April	9A		4M	1969
x	1983	March	9A		4M	1969
x	1984	February	9A		5M	1969
x	1985	April	9A		4M	1969
x	1986	March	9A		4M	1969
	1987	February	9A		4M	1969
x	1987	November	9A		4.5M	1969
x	1988	September	9A		4M	1969
x	1989	September	9A		5M	1969
x	1990	December	9A	back-9c-1	5.5M	1969
	1991	not made
	1992	May	9A		5M	1969
x	1993	April	9A		5M	1969
x	1994	October	9A		5M	1969
x	1995	October	9A		5M	1969
x	1996	July	9A		6.7M	1969
	1997	not made
x	1998		9A			1969		revised 1969 30 29 in front
x	1998		9A			1969		2nd printing
x	1999		9			1969
x	2000		9			1969
x	2001		9			2001
x	2002		9B			2001
x	2003		9B			2001
	2004	not made
x	2005		9
	2006	not made
x	2007		9C
x	2008		10A
x	2009		10B
x	2010		10C
	2011	not made
x	2012		10C
x	2012		10C					2nd printing
	2013	not made
x	2014		10C
	2015	not made
	2016	not made
x	2017		10C
x	2018		10D
x	2019		10D
x	2020		10D
	2021	not made
	2022	not made
	2023	not made
	2024	not made
	2025	not made

Earned and rank by year

Year	Earned	Rank	Of
1927
1928	4,659	30	88
1929	5,811	26	89
1930	6,568	25	92
1931	8,071	24	96
1932	8,347	23	98
1933	9,694	24	101
1934	8,686	24	101
1935	10,138	23	101
1936	9,244	23	101
1937	10,105	23	102
1938	12,864	20	105
1939	14,016	21	106
1940	14,320	20	106
1941	12,847	19	106
1942	10,939	19	110
1943	9,687	23	112
1944	11,763	22	111
1945	12,296	21	111
1946	10,799	21	111
1947	10,286	21	111
1948	9,875	21	111
1949	11,121	21	111
1950	12,913	21	111
1951	14,752	20	111
1952	14,694	21	120
1953	8,009	32	105
1954	8,677	34	103
1955	8,106	36	100
1956	8,010	38	100
1957	7,467	38	100
1958	7,343	39	101
1959	7,045	41	101
1960	8,064	43	100
1961	8,720	43	101
1962	8,685	44	101
1963	9,009	42	102
1964	8,775	44	107
1965	9,186	41	109
1966	8,860	42	110
1967	9,668	44	112
1968	9,924	43	112
1969	9,972	45	113
1970	13,325	35	113
1971	13,600	33	113
1972	17,180	27	124
1973	17,209	31	122
1974	24,358	33	121
1975	24,155	34	128
1976	19,968	35	130
1977	17,638	35	130
1978	15,577	35	131
1979	12,805	37	132
1980	9,137	35	132
1981	13,262	35	134
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993	16,562	33	123
1994
1995
1996	20,626	31	134
1997
1998
1999
2000	29,399	25	128
2001	29,179	26	129
2002	19,294	36	129
2003	11,575	52	130
2004	10,402	54	121
2005	9,362	52	121
2006	9,625	53	121
2007	10,683	48	121
2008	10,070	49	121
2009	12,272	47	122
2010	11,597	47	125
2011	12,790	46	129
2012	13,674	42	132
2013	13,259	32	129
2014	12,949	46	136
2015	12,340	47	138
2016	12,639	45	138
2017	12,990	40	139
2018	12,768	41	139
2019	12,586	41	139
2020	4,273	80	137
2021		35	137
2022		42	138
2023		38	138
2024		36	138
2025		36	141