The present invention provides an antimicrobial coating composition comprising (i) a polymer emulsion and (ii) from 20 ppm to 6000 ppm, by dry weight based on total dry weight of the coating composition, a silver, and the polymer emulsion comprises, as polymerized units, (a) ethylenically unsaturated nonionic monomers, and (b) from 0.01% to 20%, by dry weight based on total dry weight of the polymer emulsion, heterocyclic group-containing monomers.