Coeur to Retain Ownership of Rochester Mine

Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation (NYSE:CDE) (TSX:CDM) (ASX:CXC) announced today it has decided to retain ownership of its Rochester silver and Gold mine in Nevada after reviewing strategic alternatives for the mine. "Rochester continues to provide Coeur with an important source of cash flow at these silver and gold prices. In the first quarter alone, Rochester generated over $12.4 million of free cash flow and is continuing to exceed budgeted levels,” said Dennis E. Wheeler, Coeur’s Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. "In addition to contributing low-cost silver and gold production to Coeur, we are evaluating new opportunities to recover additional silver and gold ounces at Rochester that could extend the mine life beyond 2011, which is when residual leaching operations are expected to be completed.” Late last year, the Company completed a seven-hole core drilling program designed to test the extension of silver and gold mineralization in the bottom of the Rochester pit. All of the seven holes encountered significant precious and base metal mineralization. Plans are underway to recommence exploration on these and other targets in the large Rochester property this year. Coeur is also evaluating opportunities to recover silver and gold mineralization remaining in additional measured and indicated mineral resources that may be economical to mine in the current silver and gold price environment. As of December 31, 2007, Rochester contained measured and indicated mineral resources of over 27.8 million contained ounces of silver and over 180,000 ounces of gold. These resources were calculated based on an $11 per ounce silver price and a $600 per ounce gold price. Rochester Mineral Resources   Short Tons   Average Grade (oz/ton)   Contained Ounces     Gold   Silver   Gold   Silver Measured   25,153,000   0.006   0.85   142,700   21,407,900 Indicated   7,511,300   0.006   0.86   40,000   6,464,900 Total   32,664,300   0.006   0.85   182,700   27,872,800 Mineral resources in addition to mineral reserves have not demonstrated economic viability. About Coeur Coeur d’Alene Mines Corporation is one of the world’s leading silver companies and also a significant gold producer, with anticipated 2008 production of approximately 16 million ounces of silver, a 40% increase over 2007 levels. Coeur, which has no silver or gold production hedged, is now producing silver at the world’s largest pure silver mine–San Bartolomé in Bolivia–and is currently constructing another world-leading silver mine–Palmarejo in Mexico. The Company also operates two underground mines in southern Chile and Argentina and one surface mine in Nevada, and owns non-operating interests in two low-cost mines in Australia. The Company also owns a major gold project in Alaska and conducts exploration activities in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Mexico and Tanzania. Coeur common shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CDE, the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol CDM, and its CHESS Depositary Interests are traded on the Australian Securities Exchange under the symbol CXC. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of securities legislation in the United States, Canada, and Australia, including statements regarding anticipated operating results. Such statements are subject to numerous assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside the control of Coeur. Operating, exploration and financial data, and other statements in this presentation are based on information that Coeur believes is reasonable, but involve significant uncertainties affecting the business of Coeur, including, but not limited to, future gold and silver prices, costs, ore grades, estimation of gold and silver reserves, mining and processing conditions, construction schedules, currency exchange rates, and the completion and/or updating of mining feasibility studies, changes that could result from future acquisitions of new mining properties or businesses, the risks and hazards inherent in the mining business (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, weather or geologically related conditions), regulatory and permitting matters, risks inherent in the ownership and operation of, or investment in, mining properties or businesses in foreign countries, as well as other uncertainties and risk factors set out in filings made from time to time with the SEC, the Canadian securities regulators, and the Australian Securities Exchange, including, without limitation, Coeur’s reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. Actual results, developments and timetables could vary significantly from the estimates presented. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Coeur disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Additionally, Coeur undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of Coeur, its financial or operating results or its securities. Donald J. Birak, Coeur’s Senior Vice President of Exploration, is the qualified person responsible for the preparation of the scientific and technical information concerning Coeur’s mineral projects in this press release. For a description of the key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate mineral reserves and resources, as well as a general discussion of the extent to which the estimates may be affected by any known environmental, permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-political, marketing or other relevant factors, please see the Technical Reports for each of Coeur’s properties as filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors – The United States Securities and Exchange Commission permits U.S. mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can economically and legally extract or produce. We use certain terms in this press release, such as "measured,” "indicated,” and "inferred” "resources,” that are recognized by Canadian and Australian regulations, but that SEC guidelines generally prohibit U.S. registered companies from including in their filings with the SEC. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our Form 10-K which may be secured from us or from the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.