-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
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 TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB
MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA,
 WLt94ftv7qNWYv/MC/czP60w07hP+sm4CFuLTMgR67BhtM+bd9iIladWckUTpm/O
 LCRL1LytUNl1p3NFhUEQtg==

<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001209191-03-007887.txt : 20030617
<SEC-HEADER>0001209191-03-007887.hdr.sgml : 20030617
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20030617171131
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001209191-03-007887
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20030613
FILED AS OF DATE:		20030617

REPORTING-OWNER:	

	OWNER DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			KLINGER JEFFERY L
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001213888

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-16463
		FILM NUMBER:		03747724

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		PEABODY ENERGY CORP
		STREET 2:		701 MARKET ST
		CITY:			ST LOUIS
		STATE:			MO
		ZIP:			63101

ISSUER:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			PEABODY ENERGY CORP
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001064728
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	BITUMINOUS COAL & LIGNITE SURFACE MINING [1221]
		IRS NUMBER:				134004153
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			DE
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		701 MARKET ST
		CITY:			ST LOUIS
		STATE:			MO
		ZIP:			63101-1826
		BUSINESS PHONE:		3143423400

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		701 MARKET ST
		CITY:			ST LOUIS
		STATE:			MO
		ZIP:			63101-1826

	FORMER COMPANY:	
		FORMER CONFORMED NAME:	P&L COAL HOLDINGS CORP
		DATE OF NAME CHANGE:	19980623
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>doc4.xml
<DESCRIPTION>FORM 4 SUBMISSION
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?><ownershipDocument><schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>    <documentType>4</documentType><periodOfReport>2003-06-13</periodOfReport><issuer><issuerCik>0001064728</issuerCik><issuerName>PEABODY ENERGY CORP</issuerName>        <issuerTradingSymbol>BTU</issuerTradingSymbol></issuer><reportingOwner><reportingOwnerId><rptOwnerCik>0001213888</rptOwnerCik><rptOwnerName>KLINGER JEFFERY L</rptOwnerName></reportingOwnerId><reportingOwnerAddress><rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1><rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2><rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity><rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState><rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode></reportingOwnerAddress><reportingOwnerRelationship><isDirector>0</isDirector><isOfficer>1</isOfficer><isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner><isOther>0</isOther><officerTitle>VP - Legal Services</officerTitle><otherText></otherText></reportingOwnerRelationship></reportingOwner><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003
- -06-13</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>M</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionTimeliness><value></value></transactionTimeliness><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>32187</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>14.29</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>A</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>71429</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><nonDerivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></securityTitle><transactionDate><value>2003-06-13</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>F</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0<
/equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionTimeliness><value></value></transactionTimeliness><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>13820</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>33.28</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>57609</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></nonDerivativeSecurity><derivativeSecurity><securityTitle><value>Employee Stock Option (right to buy)</value></securityTitle><conversionOrExercisePrice><value>14.29</value></conversionOrExercisePrice><transactionDate><value>2003-06-13</value></transactionDate><transactionCoding><transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType><transactionCode>M</transactionCode><equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved></transactionCoding><transactionTimel
iness><value></value></transactionTimeliness><transactionAmounts><transactionShares><value>32187</value></transactionShares><transactionValue><value>0</value></transactionValue><transactionAcquiredDisposedCode><value>D</value></transactionAcquiredDisposedCode></transactionAmounts><exerciseDate><value>1999-05-19</value><footnoteId id="F1" /></exerciseDate><expirationDate><value>2008-05-19</value><footnoteId id="F2" /></expirationDate><underlyingSecurity><underlyingSecurityTitle><value>Common Stock</value></underlyingSecurityTitle><underlyingSecurityShares><value>32187</value></underlyingSecurityShares></underlyingSecurity><postTransactionAmounts><sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction><value>158061</value></sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction></postTransactionAmounts><ownershipNature><directOrIndirectOwnership><value>D</value></directOrIndirectOwnership></ownershipNature></derivativeSecurity><footnotes><footnote id="F1">Of the 32,187 options exercised, 5,594 vested on May 19, 1999, 5,594 vested on May 19, 2000, 7,000 ve
sted on May 19, 2001, 7,000 vested on May 19, 2002 and 6,999 vested on May 19, 2003.</footnote><footnote id="F2">Of the 32,187 options exercised, 27,969 expire on May 19, 2008 and 4,218 expire on January 1, 2011.</footnote></footnotes><ownerSignature><signatureName>/s/ Jeffery L. Klinger</signatureName><signatureDate>2003-06-17</signatureDate></ownerSignature></ownershipDocument>

</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
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