Coal

Coal is a common resource used throughout Stardew Valley, most notably as fuel for the Charcoal Kiln and as an ingredient in a number of crafting recipes. It is also used in tailoring, where it acts as a black dye, and it can be requested in Fish Pond quests to increase pond capacity for certain fish.

Coal can be found in many places and is one of the most widely obtainable materials in the game. The most reliable sources include mining rocks, breaking crates and barrels, opening coal-filled minecarts and miner’s bags, and defeating enemies such as Dust Sprites and several slime and shadow-type monsters. It can also be obtained by recycling Trash or Driftwood, digging up Artifact Spots, panning, opening geodes, and opening fishing treasure chests. Coal Nodes in the Quarry, Quarry Mine, and Volcano Dungeon provide another direct source. Trains may also drop Coal, and a fruit tree struck by lightning will produce Coal instead of fruit for four days.

Some methods are especially efficient:

• Mining rocks is affected by daily luck, luck buffs, Mining level, the Prospector profession, and a power from the Statue Of The Dwarf King.
• Dust Sprites in Floors 41–79 of the Mines have a 50% chance to drop Coal, making them a strong farming target.
• Red, Purple, and Black Slimes, Stone Golems, Wilderness Golems, Iridium Golems, Metal Heads, Shadow Brutes, and Shadow Shamans each have a 10% chance to drop Coal.
• Using Monster Musk and a Burglar’s Ring can improve monster-based farming.
• Coal can be converted from 10 Wood in a Charcoal Kiln, which is particularly useful early in the game.

Coal is sold by the Blacksmith, and its price changes after Year 1. During Year 1, it is cheaper to buy Wood from Robin and turn it into Coal in a Charcoal Kiln; after Year 1, buying Coal directly becomes the better option because the Wood price rises more sharply than Coal’s price. Coal may also appear in the Traveling Cart, the Garbage Can outside the Blacksmith, and Clint’s shop at the Desert Festival, where up to 50 Coal can be bought for Calico Eggs.

Coal has several late-game uses as well. The Bookseller trades 20 Coal for 1 Mining Monthly, the Raccoon Wife’s Shop trades 20 Coal for 1 Mahogany Seed, and the Desert Trader offers the Dark Piano for 999 Coal. In tailoring, Coal is used with Cloth at the Sewing Machine to create a clothing item, and it can also be applied as black dye when paired with dyeable clothing. In Fish Pond quests, 10 Coal may be requested by Ice Pip, Stonefish, or Midnight Carp to raise the pond’s capacity.