Skip to main content

COAL

5 trades involving this item across 5 traders.

View on Items Database →
Last checked
11 August 2026
Java Edition
26.2, 5 of 5 rows found
Bedrock Edition
1.26.30.5, 5 of 5 matching
Edition differences
1 pays different villager XP

Coal in villager trading

Coal is a raw-material trade: villagers pay emeralds for it, which makes it a candidate for an automated emerald farm rather than something you purchase back.

No recipe in Java 26.2 produces it, unless you count unpacking a block of coal: it drops from wither skeletons, and it comes out of coal ore and deepslate coal ore.

Villagers that buy Coal(you give Coal, get emeralds)

ProfessionLevelYou GiveYou GetVillager XPJava 26.2Bedrock 1.26.30.5
ArmorerNovice15x Coal1x Emerald2same in Bedrockverifiedverified
ButcherApprentice15x Coal1x Emerald2Bedrock 10verifiedverified
FishermanNovice10x Coal1x Emerald2same in Bedrockverifiedverified
ToolsmithNovice15x Coal1x Emerald2same in Bedrockverifiedverified
WeaponsmithNovice15x Coal1x Emerald2same in Bedrockverifiedverified

All 5 trades on this item were read out of the trade files Minecraft Java 26.2 ships in its own data, checked on against the item, both amounts and the use limit. Bedrock 1.26.30.5 is read as well, and where it disagrees the row says how. Which files, and what is not checked.

Your odds of finding Coal

A villager only shows part of its trade table, so knowing who trades coal is not the same as getting it. The friendliest roll here is the butcher (apprentice): 67% of them carry it, so it takes about 1.5 of them on average before one does.

Chance and daily throughput per villager for Coal
VillagerTierVillagers with this offerRolls to see itMost from one villagerAfter a cure
ArmorerNovice40% (2 in 5)Bedrock 100% (1 in 1)about 2.532 emeralds a day2 restocks a day9 coalwas 15, 6 off
ButcherApprentice67% (2 in 3)Bedrock 100% (1 in 1)about 1.532 emeralds a day2 restocks a day9 coalwas 15, 6 off
FishermanNovice50% (2 in 4)same in Bedrockabout 232 emeralds a day2 restocks a day4 coalwas 10, 6 off
ToolsmithNovice40% (2 in 5)Bedrock 100% (1 in 1)about 2.532 emeralds a day2 restocks a day9 coalwas 15, 6 off
WeaponsmithNovice67% (2 in 3)Bedrock 100% (1 in 1)about 1.532 emeralds a day2 restocks a day9 coalwas 15, 6 off

The chance is the draw size over the pool size in the game's own trade set file for that tier. The Bedrock line under it is the same sum on Bedrock's own table, which splits a tier into groups and draws out of each one separately, so the two editions often disagree. The day figure is the trade's use limit times the 2 restocks a villager is allowed per in-game day (Villager.allowedToRestock), so it is a ceiling and not an average: it assumes you are there for every restock. The cure column is 125 reputation times the trade's own multiplier, floored, and never takes a cost below one. Counted from the game's own draw sizes. How that check works.

Who trades Coal, and at what price

To sell Coal for emeralds, bring it to an Armorer at the Novice tier (15 units per 1 emerald), a Butcher at the Apprentice tier (15 units per 1 emerald), a Fisherman at the Novice tier (10 units per 1 emerald), a Toolsmith at the Novice tier (15 units per 1 emerald), and a Weaponsmith at the Novice tier (15 units per 1 emerald).

Is trading Coal worth it?

The best rate any villager offers is an emerald per 10 coal, from the Fisherman, and 7 of the other 10 pay out faster. No villager sells coal back, so it is emeralds out and nothing in.

What the Fisherman pays for, best rate first
Acacia BoatMaster1
Dark Oak BoatMaster1
Jungle BoatMaster1
Oak BoatMaster1
Spruce BoatMaster1
PufferfishMaster4
Tropical FishExpert6
CoalNovice10
Raw SalmonJourneyman13
Raw CodApprentice15
StringNovice20
Units you hand over per emerald, so a shorter bar is a better deal. Every other row links to that item.

Coal against the other 67 ways to earn an emerald

One slot at the Fisherman takes 10 coal a trade, 16 trades, 16 emeralds. 8 of the 72 villagers that pay emeralds, emptied out:

8 emerald routes measured against Coal
A full slot ofToEmeraldsWorth in Coal
12 diamondsexpert Toolsmith12120 coal
12 oak boatsmaster Fisherman12120 coal
96 leathernovice Leatherworker16160 coal
72 tropical fishexpert Fisherman12120 coal
160 raw beefjourneyman Butcher16160 coal
256 andesitejourneyman Mason16160 coal
288 gray woolnovice Shepherd16160 coal
288 flintjourneyman Weaponsmith12120 coal

16 diamonds against 384 flint for the same 16 emeralds, 24 times the carrying, and the shortest wait is the Leatherworker at 10 real minutes of shelf, gathering not counted. Coal itself pays 10 an emerald, so 31 of the 72 ask less and 36 ask more.

How Coal trading works

Every coal offer here locks after 16 uses, and a villager restocks up to twice per Minecraft day, so one is good for 32 of these trades a day and no more.

The earliest coal shows up is the Armorer's Novice tier, which a villager has the moment it claims the workstation.

How long Coal takes in real time

160 coal empty one slot at the Fisherman, 2400 ticks (Villager.allowedToRestock) at 20 a second (TickRateManager) refill it 2 real minutes later, and the 24000-tick villager day (Timelines) holds 2 of those fills in 20 real minutes.

So one fisherman moves 320 coal against 32 emeralds a Minecraft day, 10 coal every 37.5 real seconds, 1.6 emeralds a real minute. 64 coal fit inside one of those slots, refill untouched.

Tips for trading Coal

Coal trading FAQ

How many coal make an emerald?
10 coal at the best rate any villager offers, from the Fisherman at the Novice tier. That slot runs 16 trades before it locks, so one villager takes 160 of them per restock.
Which villager sells Coal?
None. Coal is bought from you rather than sold to you, so trading is a way to turn it into emeralds and not a way to obtain it.

Same trader, other items

The Armorer works at a blast furnace and also trades:

The Butcher works at a smoker and also trades:

The Fisherman works at a barrel and also trades: