Abstract: Surfactant-free emulsion coating compositions of superior film-forming properties are produced by a two-stage method comprising, in a first stage, forming a mixture of polymerizable monomers comprises of defined proportions of a carboxylic acid monomer, such as acrylic acid, and a C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl acrylate or methacrylate, polymerizaing said mixture, neutralizing the polymer product with a sufficient amount of an amine or base to make it water-dispersible and forming an emulsion of the polymer with water, then, in a second stage, forming a mixture of polymerizable monomers comprised of defined proportions of a C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 alkyl acrylate or methacrylate and adding this monomer mixture and a polymerization catalyst to the emulsion produced in said first stage and heating the mixture thus formed to effect polymerization and produce the emulsion coating composition.