EXHIBIT 5.b

                        [Letterhead of William F. Boyd]




                                January 21, 2003


Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation
400 Coeur d'Alene Mines Building
505 Front Avenue
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83814

        Re:    Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation
               Registration Statement on Form S-3

Ladies and Gentlemen:


        As special counsel for Coeur d'Alene Mines Corporation, an Idaho
corporation (the "Company"), I am familiar with the Company's registration
statement on Form S-3 (the "Registration Statement") filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") under the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended (the "Act"), on November 25, 2002, as amended, with respect to the
offering and sale from time to time by (a) the Company of up to $125,000,000
aggregate offering price of any of the following: (i) one or more series of the
Company's debt securities (the "Debt Securities"), which may be senior debt
securities or subordinated debt securities, (ii) shares of the Company's
preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Preferred Stock"), (iii) shares
of the Company's common stock, par value $1.00 per share (the "Common Stock"),
and/or (iv) warrants to purchase Debt Securities, Preferred Stock, or Common
Stock or units of two or more of these types of securities (the "Warrants") and
(b) the person listed in the Registration Statement as the Selling Stockholder
of up to 7,125,000 shares of Common Stock. The Preferred Stock, Common Stock and
Warrants are herein collectively referred to as the "Securities." All
capitalized terms which are not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned
to them in the Registration Statement.


        I am familiar with the corporate action taken and proposed to be taken
by the Company in connection with the authorization, issuance and sale of the
Securities. For the purpose of rendering this opinion, I have made such factual
and legal examinations as I deemed necessary under the circumstances, and in
that connection I have examined originals or copies, certified or otherwise
identified to my satisfaction, of such documents, corporate records,
certificates of



public officials and other instruments and have made such inquiries as I have
deemed appropriate for the purpose of rendering this opinion.

        In connection with my examination of such documents, I have assumed the
genuineness of all signatures on, and the authenticity of, all documents
submitted to me as originals and the conformity to original documents of all
documents submitted to me as copies. With respect to agreements and instruments
executed by natural persons, I have assumed the legal competency of such
persons.

        On the basis of, and in reliance on, the foregoing examination and
subject to the assumptions, exceptions, qualifications and limitations contained
herein and subject to completion of the corporate action proposed to be taken by
the Company referred to above (including without limitation the due reservation
of the Common Stock and Preferred Stock for issuance, the due authorization,
approval and filing of the Certificate of Designations (as defined below), the
due authorization of the Warrant Agreement (as defined below), and the due
execution and delivery of the Warrant Agreement relating to the Warrants (the
"Warrant Agreement") in materially the form filed or to be filed as an Exhibit
to the Registration Statement (by amendment, by incorporation by reference or by
Current Reports on Form 8-K)), I am of the opinion that:

        1. With respect to the Common Stock to be offered by the Company,
assuming the consideration offered in exchange for the shares is valid
consideration under state law, when the Company receives consideration per share
for the Common Stock in such an amount (not less than the par value per share)
as has been or may be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, such
Common Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

        2. With respect to the Common Stock to be issued by the Company upon the
exercise of the Warrants or the conversion of convertible Debt Securities (if
applicable), such Common Stock will, upon due exercise or conversion thereof in
accordance with the terms thereof and any indenture or other agreement pursuant
to which the Warrants or Debt Securities are to be issued, and in the case of
the Warrants, payment of the exercise price in accordance with the terms
thereof, be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

        3. With respect to the Preferred Stock, assuming the consideration
offered in exchange for the shares is valid consideration under state law, when
issued pursuant to a Certificate of Designations pursuant to the Idaho General
Corporation Law in materially the form to be filed as an Exhibit to the
Registration Statement or by Current Report on Form 8-K (the "Certificate of
Designations") and when the Company receives consideration per share for the
Preferred Stock in such an amount (not less than the par value per share) as has
been or may be determined by the Board of Directors of the Company, the
Preferred Stock will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

        4. With respect to the Warrants, when the Warrants or certificates
representing the Warrants have been duly executed, countersigned, registered,
delivered and authenticated in accordance with the terms authorized by the
Company and the applicable Warrant Agreement, upon payment of the consideration
in such an amount as has been or may be determined by the


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Board of Directors of the Company, the Warrants will constitute legal, valid and
binding obligations of the Company, enforceable against the Company in
accordance with their terms.


     5. With respect to the Common Stock to be resold by the person listed in
the Registration Statement as the Selling Stockholder, such Common Stock was
validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable when issued.



        The opinions set forth in paragraphs 1-4 above are subject to the
following further assumptions, qualifications, limitations and exceptions being
true and correct at or prior to the time of the delivery of any Security:


        (a) the Board of Directors of the Company shall have duly established
the terms of such Security and duly authorized and taken any other necessary
corporate action to approve the issuance and sale of such Security in conformity
with its Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, and its bylaws, as amended,
through such time, and such authorization shall remain in effect and unchanged
at all times during which the Securities are offered and shall not have been
modified or rescinded;

        (b) the Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto (including
post-effective amendments), and any additional registration statement filed
under Rule 462 will have been declared effective under the Act and such
effectiveness shall not have been terminated or rescinded;

        (c) a prospectus supplement (a "Prospectus Supplement") will be prepared
and duly filed with the Commission describing the Securities offered thereby;

        (d) all Securities will be issued and sold in compliance with applicable
federal and state securities laws and solely in the manner stated in the
Registration Statement and the appropriate Prospectus Supplement and there will
not have occurred any change in law affecting the validity or enforceability of
such Securities;

        (e) in the case of an agreement pursuant to which any Securities are to
be issued, there shall be no terms or provisions contained therein which would
have the effect, under applicable law, of vitiating the validity and binding
nature of such instrument; and

        (f) in the case of an underwritten offering, the applicable underwriting
agreement shall have been duly authorized and the Securities so offered shall
have been issued and sold in accordance with the terms and conditions of the
applicable underwriting agreement.

        I express no opinion regarding the effectiveness of any waiver in
respect of the Securities of any rights of any party, or duties owing to it, as
a matter of law, or that is broadly stated or does not describe the right or
duty purportedly waived with reasonable specificity.


        My opinions set forth above with respect to the Warrants are subject to
the effect of (a) applicable bankruptcy, reorganization, insolvency, moratorium
and other similar laws and court decisions of general application (including
without limitation statutory or other laws regarding fraudulent or preferential
transfers) relating to, limiting or affecting the enforcement of creditors'
rights generally, and (b) principles of equity (regardless of whether
enforcement is considered in proceedings at law or in equity) that may limit the
enforceability of any of the remedies, covenants or other provisions of the
Warrant Agreement, or the availability of injunctive relief or other equitable
remedies or as such principles relate to, limit or affect the enforcement of
creditor's rights generally.



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        This opinion is limited to the present corporate laws of the State of
Idaho and the present federal laws of the United States and to the present
judicial interpretations thereof and to the facts as they presently exist. I
express no opinion as to matters involving the laws of any jurisdiction other
than the State of Idaho and the United States, or with respect to Idaho, any
other laws. I undertake no obligation to advise you as a result of developments
occurring after the date hereof or as a result of facts or circumstances brought
to my attention after the date hereof.


        You have informed me that you intend to issue Securities, and that the
person listed in the Registration Statement as the Selling Stockholder intends
to sell the Common Stock, from time to time on a delayed or continuous basis,
and this opinion is limited to the laws referred to above as in effect on the
date hereof. I understand that prior to issuing or reselling any Securities (i)
you will advise me in writing of the terms thereof and (ii) you will afford me
an opportunity to (x) review the operative documents pursuant to which such
Securities are to be issued or resold (including the applicable Prospectus
Supplement, if any) and (y) file such supplement or amendment to this opinion
(if any) as I may reasonably consider necessary or appropriate.


        This opinion may be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.
Consent is also given to the reference to this firm under the caption "Legal
Matters" in the prospectus contained in the Registration Statement. In giving
this consent, I do not admit I am included in the category of persons whose
consent is required under Section 7 of the Act or the rules and regulations of
the Commission promulgated thereunder.

                                      Very truly yours,


                                      /s/ William F. Boyd


                                      William F. Boyd



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