Coal Ore

Coal Ore is a mineral block that is a common sight on almost all maps. It is found at almost any elevation, from cliff faces, through underground caves and sea bottoms, down to bedrock. On average, there are about 142.6 coal ores per chunk. It is the only ore to appear well above sea level; coal ore comprises about 1% of all stone, regardless of altitude. Coal veins can vary greatly in size - mountaintop deposits are usually five blocks at most, but underground ones are generally at least ten blocks, and can range up to fifty or more. One can also acquire large amounts of experience by mining coal.

A piece of coal can be mined directly from Coal ore using any type of pickaxe. Coal can be combined with sticks to make torches, or used as fuel in a furnace or Minecart. When burned in a furnace, it smelts 8 items for each coal lump.

Smelting
Note: Coal Ore block can only be obtained with a pickaxe enchanted with Silk Touch. Also, smelting the ore instead of mining it is highly inefficient, as it would require fuel to acquire the coal, which is the exact purpose of obtaining this ore in the first place.

Trivia

 * Coal ore can be obtained via silk touch and when smelted it gives coal.
 * Coal can come in veins of up to 64 blocks large.
 * The Fortune enchantment applies to coal ore blocks, i.e. mining coal with it may yield more than one lump per block.
 * Coal ore can be found up to the terrain generation limit, y=128. This was formerly the build limit(Before version 1.2).