Donkey Kong (Series)

The Donkey Kong franchise has featured coin collectibles in several games. These coins are usually given as a reward for exploration and for completing bonus games.

Kong Tokens
Kong Tokens are the first coins to appear as special collectibles in the Donkey Kong series. Donkey Kong Land would mark their first and only appearance in the franchise. The coins themselves are quite large, with their sprites being nearly the same size as the Kongs themselves. They spin rapidly, showing the faces of both Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong on each side. Much like other coins that would appear later on in the series, Kong Tokens are scattered throughout every level, and can either be found out in the open or in hidden areas. Unlike future coins however, they are used for bonus challenges, rather than being given as an award. In them, a "Button Barrel" moves quickly from side to side, and Donkey Kong or Diddy Kong can jump on the corresponding button to release the Kong Tokens individually. They are awarded an extra life for each Kong Token that they collect in these minigames.The Kongs must repeatedly jump on the button until all of their Kong Tokens are released.

The number of Kong Tokens collected in the game are not saved like in future games. This means that if the player were to quit out of the game, the number of coins are reset back to zero.

Banana Coins
Banana Coins, also known as Banana Bunch Coins (or Banana Bunch Koins) are the first and most commonly available form of currency to be featured in the Donkey Kong franchise. First appearing in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, Banana Coins and their variants have been featured as valuable collectibles in many Donkey Kong games since.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest / Donkey Kong Land 2
Much like Kong Tokens in Donkey Kong Land, Banana Coins (referred to as Banana Bunch Coins) are scattered throughout every level of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Land 2. Diddy and Dixie Kong use the coins as currency to pay for services provided for by members of the Kong Family. Use of Funky Kong's Biplane Barrel at Funky's Flights II, obtaining advice from Cranky Kong at Monkey Museum, saving the game and receiving advice from Wrinkly Kong at Kong Kollege, and playing Swanky Kong's quizzes at Swanky's Bonus Bonanza can all be paid with the use of Banana Bunch Coins. The Kongs can carry up to 99 Banana Bunch Coins at a time.

In the Game Boy Advance version of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest, the Kongs can get into a rematch with a boss by paying ten Banana Bunch Coins to Swanky.

Donkey Kong 64
Banana Bunch Coins return as one of the many collectibles available in Donkey Kong 64, this time being used to purchase weapons from Funky Kong, moves and abilities from Cranky Kong, and musical instruments from Candy Kong. Much like before, they are scattered throughout every level. This time however, they come in different colors that correspond to each playable Kong. Yellow, red, blue, purple, and green coins are all available for Donkey Kong, Diddy Kong, Lanky Kong, Tiny Kong, and Chunky Kong respectively. The maximum amount of coins for each Kong varies.

In least to greatest, the maximum amount of Banana Coins each Kong can collect goes as follows: Donkey Kong: 179, Diddy Kong: 183, Lanky Kong: 190, Tiny Kong: 198, Chunky Kong: 224.

Every Kong spends 21 Banana Coins on personal upgrades, Donkey Kong spends an extra 2 to replay the Donkey Kong arcade game, and a total of 53 are used for shared upgrades. There are 974 Banana Bunch Coins in total. After all coins possible are spent, the Kongs will have a remaining 814 Banana Coins among themselves if all coins are collected. The Mystery mode has an unlockable cheat allowing the player to have 999 Banana Bunch Coins; this cheat can be unlocked by collecting twenty Banana Fairies.

5-Banana Coins
Donkey Kong 64 also introduces a special type of Banana Coin alongside the previously mentioned kinds. 5-Banana Coins are multi-colored coins that can be found underneath DK Dirt Piles. They are different from normal Banana Coins in that they are able to be collected by every Kong, are larger in size, and add five Banana Coins to each Kong's total.

There is at least one 5-Banana Coin hidden in every world in the game

Donkey Kong Country (Gameboy Color)
Banana Bunch Coins appear in the Gameboy Color port of Donkey Kong Country as the reward for Candy's Challenges.

There are six in total, and they can be viewed in the items menu after they're collected. They do not act as currency like the previous iterations of Banana Coins, and are only counted for 100% completion.

DK Jungle Climber
DK Jungle Climber is the first game to refer to the coins as "Banana Coins". Despite the change in name, the coins still feature the Banana Bunches seen in previous games.

Five are found throughout each level. Banana Coins can be used to buy extra levels after completing the game.

Super Smash Brothers Brawl
Banana Coins appear in Super Smash Brothers Brawl as a sticker. In the Subspace Emissary, it increases the strength of the user's leg attacks by four

Donkey Kong Country Returns / Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D
Banana Coins in Donkey Kong Country Returns and Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D have been redesigned to depict a single banana rather than a banana bunch. The coins act much like they do in previous games, being used to pay for various items from Cranky Kong. They are scattered throughout every level, but can now also be collected via jumping on three to seven enemies in succession or as a prize from the Slot Machine Barrel at the end of every level. The player can collect up to 999 Banana Coins.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze
Banana Coins appear once again in Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze and its Nintendo Switch port. Much like in the preceding game, Banana Coins are used to buy items, this time from Funky Kong. Banana Coins have received a slight change in appearance, being recolored from a basic yellow to a sparkling gold. Like before, the Kongs are able to collect up to 999 Banana Coins.

DK Coins
DK Coins (originally known as Cranky's Video Game Hero Coins, Cranky Kong's DK Coins, DK Hero coins, or simply Hero Coins.) are large, generally well hidden coins that were first introduced in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest. They are usually used solely for a total completion.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest / Donkey Kong Land 2
DK Coins appear in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Land 2 as collectibles that are hidden in every level. In universe, it is explained that Cranky Kong hid the coins for Diddy and Dixie to find. There are 40 coins in total, and they are hidden in secret areas, a prize at the end of certain levels, and as a reward for completing bonus games in the hidden Lost World. The final boss will also give Diddy and Dixie a DK Coin when they are defeated. The coin will appear next to the name of the level on the map screen if it's collected in that level. At the end of the game, Cranky will tally the number of coins collected and rank Diddy and Dixie based on how many they obtained throughout the game. Similarly, Donkey Kong Land 2 also features 40 DK Coins with one hidden throughout every level and one given after beating the final boss.

The Gameboy Advance remake of Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest adds 28 more DK Coins, making for a new total of 68 DK Coins to collect. 39 of the original 40 coins are in the same locations as before, with the only exception being the DK Coin given after defeating the final boss. Beating the boss no longer gives a free DK Coin. The new DK Coins are rewarded through beating all the missions at Funky's Flights II, getting first place in all the Expresso Racing levels, and filling out the scrapbook Wrinkly Kong gives to Diddy and Dixie.

Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!
DK Coins reappear in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! as items that contribute to full completion. Much like in its predecessor, Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! features DK Coins in every level of the game, with 41 in total. When a DK Coin is collected, a yellow pennant will appear above the level flag.

Notably, enemies known as Koins hold all except for one of the DK Coins in the game. They are impenetrable to any attacks from the front or from above. In order to obtain the DK Coin, Dixie and Kiddy need to throw an iron keg over the Koin before it rebounds against a wall and hits the Koin.

Once all the DK Coins are collected, they can trade them with Funky Kong in exchange for the Gyrocopter, which will allow them to fly around the Northern Kremisphere. The last three secret caves are only accessible through the Gyrocopter, making them necessary for file completion.

In the Gameboy Advance Remake, five new DK Coins are available in the new world added to the game, adding up to a new total of 46 DK Coins.

Donkey Kong Land 3
Donkey Kong Land 3 sports a total of 42 DK Coins. Koins from the game's console counterpart return and act the same as they do in Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble! Since Koins do not appear in the underwater levels, the DK Coins are freely available to collect. Additionally, 6 of the 42 DK Coins are obtained by playing the memory game at every world's Sheepy Shop. A certain amount of Bonus Coins are needed to play the memory games at these shops. DK Coins are used to enter the Lost World after initially beating the game. If all the DK Coins and Watches are collected, Dixie and Kiddie are able to have a final showdown with Baron K. Roolenstein.

Donkey Kong 64
DK Coins appear as collectibles in two of the Training Barrel challenges, certain minigames, all three Mine Cart Rides, and the two races against the Mini-Car, Beetle, and Seal. Unlike in previous games, they are not items that appear throughout gameplay, only appearing in these instances. Either a certain number of them must be collected before time runs out or a certain number must be collected before reaching the goal. A Golden Banana will be rewarded for each challenge that's completed.

DK Jungle Climber
DK Coins appear in every level of DK Jungle Climber. One in each level, these coins are used to unlock certain cheats. They deviate from the design in Donkey Kong 64 and instead go back to their familiar appearance in Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong Quest and Donkey Kong Country 3: Dixie Kong's Double Trouble!

Trivia

 * Due to their rarity of Banana Coins (in comparison to the numerous, basic banana collectibles found throughout the games), it can be assumed that the coins hold more value than bananas.
 * This is likely because coins are a type of currency used to buy items. It can be assumed that they are also used by Donkey Kong to purchase bananas.
 * Despite their rarity, they are less rare than the K-O-N-G Letters, implying that the K-O-N-G Letters are more valuable. Why the K-O-N-G Letters hold such a large amount of value is, presently, unknown.
 * To this day, it is unknown where, when or how the various coins found in Donkey Kong games are created. There have been no observable mints within the DK jungle so far.
 * It's very possible that the coins come from foreign lands.