Coeur Silver Valley Encounters Silver Mineralization on Sterling Mining's Link Property.

Business Editors

WALLACE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 15, 2004

Sterling Mining Company (OTC:SRLM) today announced that exploration work conducted by Coeur Silver Valley, a subsidiary of Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation (NYSE:CDE), has encountered silver mineralization on one of Sterling's claims leased to Coeur.

During the first quarter of 2004, Coeur Silver Valley drilled six short diamond drill holes onto the northeastern portion of the Link claim of Sterling's E-W property.

The holes were drilled from a development incline just below the Galena 2400 level. Five of the holes intercepted silver mineralization. The silver mineralization appears to be hosted in a breccia zone consisting of silicified and hematite-stained quartzite fragments in a matrix of pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, siderite and silver-bearing tetrahedrite. The breccia zone follows an east-west fault, and may be a westerly continuation of the productive Silver Vein.

Coeur Silver Valley is currently drifting along the breccia zone below the 2400 level for further investigation. It is anticipated that they will drift on this zone into the Link claim area for delineation and possible future exploration drilling.

Mike McLean, Mine Manager of Sterling's Sunshine Mine division, stated, "We are extremely optimistic about the potential for this claim group, and the implications for "upper country" exploration at the Sunshine Property and neighboring Chester and Mineral Mountain claim groups."

Sterling President Ray De Motte commented, "We are pleased that the Link claim group, originally staked by our founder John Presley in 1903, is being explored by Coeur Silver Valley, a 100%-owned subsidiary of Coeur d'Alene mines."

Please visit the Sterling website at www.sterlingmining.com for more information.

Sterling Mining Company, together with its silver assets in Mexico, controls the legendary Sunshine Mine, the richest silver mine in American history with more than 360 million ounces of production over the past century. Sterling offers investors superior leverage to silver price increases through its extensive portfolio of "Silver Valley" landholdings and through strategic alliances and equity stakes in neighboring companies. Sterling stock trades on the OTC Market Exchange under the symbol "SRLM."

Certain statements contained in this press release are "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on beliefs of management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to management. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results.

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