Coin
- This article is about the trademark coins of the Super Mario franchise. For other uses, see Coin (disambiguation).
- Not to be confused with Koin.
| Coin | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork from Mario Kart World | |||
| First appearance | Mario Bros. (1983) | ||
| Latest appearance | Donkey Kong Bananza (Ver. 3.2.0, DK Island & Emerald Rush, Super Mario Bros. 40th Anniversary event) (2026) | ||
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- “You're a pretty greedy little coin-grubber, aren't you?”
- —Pianta, Super Mario Sunshine
Coins are the main currency of the Mushroom Kingdom, and a common collectable item in many games of the Super Mario franchise. Coins have varying effects depending on the game type: In platformer games, they increase a player's score and grant extra lives; in racing games, they increase speed and recovery times; and in role-playing games and a few other games, they can be used to purchase items. The golden variety is the most common throughout the series, and is part of a family of multicolored coins that comprises Red Coins and Blue Coins among others, each with varying properties depending on game appearance. The Super Mario coin is most frequently depicted with an "I", the Roman numeral for one, stamped on both of its faces. Other stamp variants have appeared across the franchise, with some games featuring a star, as well as coins with Yoshi's face appearing in titles starring him.
History[edit]
Mario Bros.[edit]
Coins in Mario Bros. emerge from the top pipes after defeating an enemy. They slide along surfaces until they reach a bottom pipe. They can be obtained by either touching them or hitting them through the floor, earning the player 800 points as a dollar sign displays briefly. Coins are also in bonus stages, where the player character has the goal of collecting ten suspended midair within the time limit, earning a perfect bonus multiplier if they succeed.
VS. Wrecking Crew / Wrecking Crew[edit]
In the Bonus Stages of VS. Wrecking Crew, the player must find the hidden coin within the time limit. In two-player mode, players compete in searching for the coin, and the port Wrecking Crew features Foreman Spike as the rival.
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario Bros. / Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels / Super Mario Bros. Deluxe[edit]
Coins are the most common items in Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels, and Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, appearing hidden inside of blocks and in midair in every level. Coins are worth 200 points when collected, and collecting 100 coins gives the player an extra life.
Super Mario Bros. 2 / Super Mario Advance[edit]
Coins in Super Mario Bros. 2 appear only in Sub-Space from plucking grass, and they are used in the Bonus Chance game after the level.
Super Mario Advance introduces Ace Coins, five of which are obtainable in every level.
Super Mario Bros. 3 / Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3[edit]
Coins in Super Mario Bros. 3 retain the same basic purpose as in Super Mario Bros., rewarding an extra life when 100 are collected. They can also be obtained from the N-Mark Spade Panel minigame. Introduced in this game are Switch Blocks, which turn Brick Blocks into coins and vice versa, sometimes also causing Blue Coins to appear. Coins are also in the 2-Player battle mode, where the player who collects five wins. In the Family Computer and NES version only, a dollar sign ($) at the bottom of the screen represents any coins collected.
In Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, thrown objects (like shells or Ice Blocks) can pick up coins in this version, being worth double if obtained this way. Activating the Orange Switch e-Reader card causes any enemy hit by fireballs into coins, as in Super Mario World and its remake. There are also Advance Coins in World-e levels only, and they function like the Dragon Coins in Super Mario World.
Super Mario Land[edit]
Coins in Super Mario Land often appear in Mystery Blocks and mostly in secret stashes or bunches.
Coins have a different sound effect than the usual one introduced in Super Mario Bros., being a lower-pitched version of the Game Boy start-up sound.
Super Mario World / Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
- “YOU ARE A SUPER PLAYER!!”
- —Coins message in Funky, Super Mario World
The coins of Super Mario World function similarly as the previous games, but they can now spawn from enemies defeated from fireballs by Fire Mario or Yoshi. These coins move on the ground after appearing. If these coins are not collected, the enemies respawn offscreen. Jumping on a yellow Koopa Troopa also forces a coin to appear from its shell. Control Coins are coins that can be manipulated into moving to certain directions. Everything that Yoshi swallows also count towards Mario's coin total.
The game adds a few varieties of coins: Gray Coins, which some enemies turn into when a Gray P Switch is active; Bonus Coins, ten of which can be collected from a Yoshi Cloud for a 1-Up Mushroom; Dragon Coins, where collecting all of them in a level rewards an extra life; and Peach Coins, which replace Dragon Coins after obtaining all of them in Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 only.
Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins[edit]
Coins have the same typical role while platforming in Super Mario Land 2 - 6 Golden Coins, but they can also be spent at the casino for extra lives and power-ups. The number of coins wagered correlates to the payout of the prizes.
Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS[edit]
Coins, also named Yellow Coins,[1][2] are common in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario 64 DS. Unlike in preceding games of the series, coins now have a star-shaped symbol and can restore Mario's lost health and his oxygen supply while underwater. Coins appear from defeated enemies, and number that appear depends on the enemy type. There are also Red Coins, which are worth two coins, and Blue Coins, which are worth five coins.
Mario gains an extra life for every 50 coins he collects each time he completes a mission and returns to the Mushroom Castle, but only up to three lives (no more than 150 coins). Collecting 100 coins in a course grants Mario a Power Star. The highest number of coins collected in a course are tracked on the score screen.
In Super Mario 64 DS, instead of animated 2D sprites, coins are fully modeled in 3D and, as a result, look octagonal. Yoshi is able to stick out his tongue and swallow coins to obtain them.
Super Mario Sunshine[edit]
The coins of Super Mario Sunshine function similarly to their appearance in Super Mario 64: Collecting a coin replenishes Mario's health or oxygen supply, fifty coins grant Mario an extra life, though the extra life is granted immediately upon collecting the fiftieth coin instead of after completing a mission, and obtaining 100 coins spawns the game's main collectible item, a Shine Sprite. Unlike Super Mario 64's 100-coin Power Stars, the Shine Sprite now appears in a location unique to each level, and causes Mario to exit the level when collected. Both Red Coins and Blue Coins also make a reappearance, though they are no longer worth any regular coins.
Just as in Super Mario 64, top coin scores are once again tracked for each course, but with a Shine Sprite icon next to the count if Mario succeeded in reaching the 100-coin mark and collected the Shine Sprite that comes with it.
New Super Mario Bros.[edit]
The coins of New Super Mario Bros. use their mechanics from Super Mario World; they appear not only throughout levels but also by defeating enemies with fireballs.
Besides coins, there are Red Coins, which appear only in sets of eight from a Red Ring, and collecting them earns the player a power-up item or a 1-Up Mushroom. Blue Coins return, having the same role as in Super Mario Bros. 3 where they appear after a P Switch is pressed. The only debuting variety is Star Coins, which have to be collected in levels and spent on Star Coin Signs to unlock more areas of the map.
New Super Mario Bros. is the last Super Mario game to use the original 8-bit coin sound effect from Super Mario Bros. Subsequent games from New Super Mario Bros. Wii onwards would use the newer sound derived from Super Mario World and Super Mario All-Stars variants.
Super Mario Galaxy[edit]
Coins are much less common in Super Mario Galaxy and its Nintendo Switch port in favor of Star Bits. Each coin restores one section of Mario's life meter, and collecting 50 immediately awards an extra life. Coins also refill a bit of Mario's air supply while underwater and give additional flight for Bee Mario. Besides returning methods, coins can now be obtained by shooting either flower buds or tiny lamps on the ground, or by stomping an enemy. The top coin scores are tracked not only on the score screen like in Super Mario 64 and Super Mario Sunshine but also per each mission of a galaxy.
The game adds two coin varieties: ? Coins, which are large coins that cause a random effect to occur, and Purple Coins, where 100 of them have to be collected in certain missions for a Power Star, something that coins can no longer do.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Coins return in New Super Mario Bros. Wii along with Red Coins, Dash Coins, Blue Coins, and Star Coins. Coins have mostly the same role, but some flowers located in the background release coins when spun next to. In his boss fight, Kamek's magic can sometimes turn platforms into coins.
Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]
Coins are much more common in Super Mario Galaxy 2 than the predecessor. They still restore only a unit of health and refill a portion of Mario's air and flight meters. Like the 2D games, collecting 100 coins is required to obtain an extra life, though this only occurs when they are added to the total amount after each mission. Mario can hold up to 9,999 coins in total on Starship Mario, where they can be used to purchase the spins of five Chance Cubes. Reaching 9,999 coins also causes a staff ghost to appear in every mission of every galaxy, even if the player has not completed said mission as Luigi. Hungry Lumas within galaxies now ask for coins instead of Star Bits. Top coin scores are no longer tracked in favor of a counter of the fastest time to each Star instead.
A particularly large rotating coin appears in Supermassive Galaxy, though as an environmental object for Mario to wall-jump off of to get on top of a Mega ? Block.
Super Mario 3D Land[edit]
Coins appear throughout Super Mario 3D Land, where collecting 100 rewards Mario or Luigi an extra life, like in the 2D games. Coins take the role of points, causing defeated enemies to give Mario coins directly. However, sources where enemies spawn indefinitely, such as Baddie Boxes, stop rewarding coins after the third such enemy is defeated. Grabbing the Goal Pole earns the player coins except at the top, which is worth an extra life instead. By completing any level except World 8-
Bowser's Castle 2, the player earns one coin per every ten seconds remaining on the timer. Five coins can be obtained by jumping through coin rings, which make their debut.
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
New Super Mario Bros. 2 is themed around coin collecting, making coins exceptionally common. The title screen is affected by the total number of coins collected, with 1,000,000 coins adding a gold Mario statue and 9,999,999 coins replacing it with a Raccoon Mario statue. Coins become more accessible with the help of newly introduced power-ups: Gold Flowers, converting Brick Blocks and enemies into them directly; Gold Blocks, which give coins as the player character moves automatically; and Gold Rings, from which coins can be defeated from defeated enemies directly. There are also 10 and 100-Coin denominations, and Roulette Coin Blocks can give a different number of coins.
New Super Mario Bros. U / New Super Luigi U / New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe[edit]
Coins reappear in New Super Mario Bros. U, working as they do in the previous 2D games. Some levels feature coins falling on parachutes in groups of one to three. The game is the first appearance of Green Coins, which spawn from Green Rings.
Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]
In Super Mario 3D World and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury, coins work like they do in Super Mario 3D Land. While the 2D games' scoring system returns, enemies still reward coins directly if stomped, clawed, or tail-whipped. The game also contains invisible coins, which can be revealed by passing through them or by using the Wii U GamePad for the original version. Returning varieties include coin piles, which are worth several coins and often appear in hidden areas; Gold Rings, which reward three coins (instead of five like before); and Green Star Coins, where collecting eight reveals a Green Star. One of the stamps bears the likeness of a coin.
Coins also appear in Bowser's Fury, though since there is no lives system, collecting 100 coins earns the player a random power-up instead: a Super Bell, Super Mushroom, Boomerang Flower, Fire Flower, Super Leaf, or a Super Star. All of these power-ups, excluding the Super Star, are granted directly to Bowser Jr. and therefore directly to item storage. Since version 1.1.0, collecting 100 coins before leaving Fur Step Island only rewards a Super Mushroom.[citation needed]
Super Mario Maker / Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
Coins are placeable items in Super Mario Maker and Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS. Since version 1.4.0, coins can be shaken to become a Pink Coin.
The American English description from the Nintendo 3DS eShop incorrectly states that coins can be shot from cannons.
Super Mario Run[edit]
In Super Mario Run, coins reprise their role as minor collectables. However, they also replace score as a mechanic. Collecting a redundant power-up is worth 5 coins. Touching the Goal Pole is worth 1-10 coins, with more coins granted the higher the player reaches on the pole. Defeating enemies grants coins in a truncated version of the normal score chain, where the first enemy defeated in a chain grants one coin, the second enemy defeated grants two coins, and all further enemies grant four coins. Enemies can be levelled up by defeating them in the World Tour and Toad Rally modes. In Toad Rally, each level adds a single coin bonus for defeating that enemy. Enemies can be levelled up three times to get the maximum bonus of 3 coins. Some objects cause coins to start appearing when interacted with, like Pause Blocks. Taking damage causes the player to drop five coins.
In World Tour mode, the highest number of coins collected in a single run of a course is tracked. This can be compared wit the highest number of coins the player's friends have collected in the same course. Completing a world, which actually means completing the last course in a world, each time except the first grants the player 100 coins from a treasure chest. This excludes World 6 and World ★.
In Toad Rally mode, players compete against the "ghost data" of other players, with coins serving as the score. However, the Toads players convince to cheer for them during the run multiply the coins collected at the conclusion. Collecting coins additionally fills a meter that starts a Coin Rush when fill. During a Coin Rush, more coins will appear and the enemy scoring chain grants twice the number of coins. Collecting coins during a Coin Rush makes it last longer.
In Remix 10, a bubbled item will appear for every 100 coins collected (a Super Mushroom if the player is small, and a Super Star if they are Super). The coin counter resets when this happens.
In Kingdom Builder mode, some Toads carry coins for the player to collect. This is done by tapping on the Toad or the building they are next to. Additionally, several buildings, like ? Blocks and Bonus Game Houses, can be interacted with to receive coins. The coins collected in this mode, in World Tour, and in Toad Rally (excluding Friendly Runs) are added to a total used to buy buildings and decorations in the Shop. The recurring Loads of Coins event multiplies the coins received from Toad Rally by 1.5, but only if the player wins the Rally. The total number of coins ever collected is tracked as part of the Player Record.
Red Coins, worth one coin, and Blue Coins, worth two coins, return. They are accompanied by various color coins, which include Pink Coins, Purple Coins, Black Coins, and their ★ variations. Color coins are worth 10 coins, and different modes use them in different ways. Hidden Coins return, and are able to hide regular coins and color coins. A new object similar to Hidden Coins is introduced, only it makes coins appear in a direction away from it.
Super Mario Odyssey[edit]
Coins return in Super Mario Odyssey; however, rather than giving an extra life for every 100 collected (as lives are absent), or healing Mario (as hearts fulfill this role), they are instead used as a global currency in this game and can be spent on clothing, Power Moons, and Life-Up Hearts in the Crazy Cap stores spread across the kingdoms. Mario drops 10 coins each time he dies, which land in a circle around where this occurred. Coins that land in hazardous substances (such as poison) or fall down pits vanish. Coins that land on the ground can be recollected, but they disappear if Mario dies again or if he goes through a transition to a different area. Coin rings, coin piles, and invisible coins can also be found. This game also introduces regional coins, which are purple and can only be spent in the kingdoms in which they are found.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Coins and Pink Coins both return as course elements in Super Mario Maker 2, in addition to 10-Coins, 30-Coins, and 50-Coins. Coins have an essential role in Story Mode, as Mario has to collect them to fund the reconstruction of Peach's Castle. As of the version 2.0 update, coins can be encased in ice but can be thawed with fire-based attacks or enemies.
Super Mario Bros. 35[edit]
Coins could be obtained and used for the Item Roulette in Super Mario Bros. 35.
Super Mario Bros. Wonder / Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park[edit]
In Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park, coins act as they do in previous games. Their choppier spinning animation is similar to those found in older games, like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario World.[3] During a Wonder Effect, coins will dance to the music. Flower coins, as well as their 10-Coin variant, are also introduced in this game.
A new variant called the Bellabel Water coin is introduced in Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park. Appearing in attractions like Fly Free, Captain Toad!, collecting one of these coins adds a single Bellabel Water drop to the player's total at the end of the level. These coins are typically placed in locations similar to the 10-flower coin.
Yoshi franchise[edit]
Yoshi[edit]
Coins appear in Yoshi after the player clears levels 25 through 27 of the B-Type game. Coins are worth 1,200 points when collected.
Yoshi series[edit]
Yoshi's Island series[edit]
Coins commonly appear throughout each level in the Yoshi series, functioning similarly to their appearances in the Super Mario series. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island introduced red coins, which are disguised as regular coins in each level and will be exposed as red coins once the player collects them. As the player collects all red coins, the player will make the game closer to 100% completion. In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island (though not its Game Boy Advance version), all coins on the background layer have a beige shading, while all on the sprite layer (including all disguised red coins) have an orange shading. In Yoshi's Island DS, both coins and Red Coins retain the same purpose as before, and the game also introduced character coins, which portray the baby character's head on them. Collecting the coins will give the player a minigame in the game's Hard Mode as a reward. Coins reappear in Yoshi's New Island, functioning no differently than before.
Yoshi's Crafted World[edit]
Coins reappear in Yoshi's Crafted World; however, due to the game not including lives, any coins collected in the level are added to an overall coin count, which can then be spent on capsule machines to earn costumes. The maximum amount of coins the pl