Amended Form of Stock Option Agreement under the 1996 Plan.

                    HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY

_____________

_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________


RE:  OPTION TO PURCHASE SHARES OF $1.00 PAR
     VALUE COMMON STOCK OF HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY


Dear _________:

Homestake Mining Company ("Company") hereby grants you an  option
to  purchase ________ shares of its $1.00 par value common  stock
at a price of $____ per share on the following terms:

1.   The  option  is intended to be a non-statutory  option  that
     does  not  satisfy the requirements of Section 422A  of  the
     Internal Revenue Code.

2.   The option shall expire on the earlier of ___________ or the
     occurrence of the first of the following:

     a.   Three months after the termination of your active
          employment  with  the  company  or  any  affiliate  (as
          hereafter  defined) for reason other  than  retirement,
          death, disability, or cause.

     b.   Thirty-six months after termination of your active
          employment  with  the  Company  or  any  affiliate   by
          retirement.

     c.   Thirty-six months after the termination  of  your
          active employment with the Company or any affiliate  by
          death or disability.

     d.   Except as provided in paragraph 2.b. and 2.c., six
          months after termination of your active employment with
          the  Company or any affiliate for any reason other than
          cause if you should die or become disabled within three
          months after such termination.

     e.   Immediately upon termination of your active employment
          with the Company or any affiliate for cause, as determined
          by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of
          the Company ("Committee").

     For  purposes of this agreement, (i) affiliate includes  any
     corporation or other form of enterprise in which the Company
     has, directly or indirectly, an ownership interest of 50% or
     more or equivalent power to direct the management and policy
     of  such  enterprise by contract or otherwise; (ii) if  your
     employment  with the Company or an affiliate terminates  and
     immediately  thereafter  you  become  a  consultant  to  the
     Company  or  an  affiliate, such service may be  treated  as
     employment with the




     Company but only if the Committee in its
     sole  discretion  so determines; (iii) any determination  by
     the  Committee  made  in good faith shall  be  final  unless
     clearly  erroneous;  and  (iv)  any  determination  by   the
     Committee as to a matter reserved to the sole discretion  of
     the Committee shall be final.

3.   The   option   shall  become  exercisable  in   installments
     beginning ________ and on the same day of each of  the  next
     three  years,  as to 25% of the shares each  year.   To  the
     extent  not  previously exercised, such  installments  shall
     accumulate and be exercisable, in whole or in part,  at  any
     time before expiration of the option.

4.   Except as hereafter provided, if for any reason your active
     employment with the Company or any affiliates terminates
     before one or more installments become exercisable, the
     option shall be exercisable only as to any installments
     which became exercisable before termination and then only to
     the extent not previously exercised.  Notwithstanding the
     foregoing:

     a.   Upon your death or total and permanent disability
          occurring while employed, all installments shall be
          immediately exercisable to the extent not previously
          exercised; and

     b.   If, within two years after a "Change of Control," your
          employment is terminated involuntarily for reasons
          other than death, disability or discharge for "Good and
          Sufficient Cause," or you voluntarily choose to
          terminate your employment for "Good Reason" (all as
          defined in the Company's 1999 Change of Control
          Severance Plan as amended from time to time), all
          installments shall be immediately exercisable to the
          extend not previously exercised. The provisions of this
          paragraph 4 are in addition to any rights that you may
          have under the Plan under which this option was issued.

5.   Except  as  permitted  by  the  Committee,  the  option   is
     transferable by you only by will or the laws of  descent  or
     distribution.  Except as permitted by the Committee, it  may
     be  exercised during your lifetime only by you  or  by  your
     legal  representative duly appointed by a court of competent
     jurisdiction.  After your death, it may be exercised only by
     your executor or administrator or by persons who acquire  it
     directly  from you by bequest or inheritance or as permitted
     by the Committee.

6.   If  a  dividend is declared on common stock of  the  Company
     payable  in  common stock, the unexercised shares  shall  be
     increased  and the per share option price shall be decreased
     proportionately to reflect the dividend as the Committee may
     determine.

7.   If  any  change is made in the common stock through  merger,
     consolidation,  reorganization, recapitalization,  split-up,
     combination  of  shares,  exchange  of  shares,  change   in
     corporate  structure  or otherwise or a  stock  dividend  is
     payable  in  stock other than common stock,  an  appropriate
     adjustment shall be made for shares not previously exercised
     as to the number of any kind of securities or rights and the
     price per share as the Committee may determine.

8.   You  shall  not  be a stockholder, nor be  entitled  to  any
     privileges  of  stock ownership, under this agreement  until
     shares are actually issued and delivered to you.


9.        a.    The option may be exercised from time to time  in
          accordance with this agreement by written notice signed
          and  delivered by you or your legal representative  (or
          after your death,

                               2



          by your executor, administrator, heir
          or  legatee,  as  the case may be), or other  permitted
          transferee  to  the  Secretary of the  Company  at  the
          Company's principal office.

          b.    The notice shall state the number of shares as to
          which the option is exercised, the date of exercise and
          how  the exercise price will be paid.  The notice shall
          be  accompanied by payment in cash or by delivery of  a
          check,   bank  draft  or  money  order,  or,  as   more
          specifically provided in the Plan, by common stock duly
          endorsed for transfer or a combination thereof for  the
          full  exercise  price.  The fair market  value  of  any
          common stock so delivered shall be the mean between the
          high and low sales price of the shares on the composite
          tape  for New York Stock Exchange-listed securities  on
          the day of exercise, or if no sales of shares of common
          stock  shall have been reported on such composite  tape
          on  that  day, then such amount as the Committee  shall
          determine to be the fair market value on such day.

10.  Before  delivery of any shares, the Company shall  determine
     the  amount  of federal and state income tax  or  other  tax
     withholding  required by law and you shall pay  the  Company
     such amount, to the extent not previously withheld.

11.       a.   Upon receipt of notice of exercise by the Company,
          this agreement shall become a contract for the purchase
          and  sale  of  the shares specified in the notice  and,
          except  as herein provided, neither you nor the Company
          shall  have  the  right  to terminate  or  rescind  the
          contract.  The Company shall tender the shares within a
          reasonable time.

          b.    If  the  Committee determines  that  any  law  or
          regulation  or  requirement of any securities  exchange
          requires the Company to take any action before issuance
          or  delivery  of  shares or prohibits or  delays  their
          issuance   or  delivery  then  the  date  for  payment,
          issuance and delivery, shall be extended for the period
          necessary to take such action, or during the period  of
          such prohibition or limitation delay.

12.  In the event of certain corporate transactions or changes of
     control,  the  option may become immediately exercisable  in
     accordance with the terms of the Plan.

13.  By  exercising the option, you agree that you are  acquiring
     the  shares for investment and will not transfer any  shares
     in  violation  of  applicable federal and  state  securities
     laws.   Any shares delivered under this agreement  may  bear
     such  legends  and  may be subject to such  restrictions  on
     transfer  as  the  Committee determines to be  necessary  or
     appropriate.   You  agree to execute such agreements  as  to
     transfer of such shares as the Committee may deem advisable.
     You agree that the Company shall not be required to register
     any  shares acquired by you and that you may be required  to
     hold such shares indefinitely in the absence of registration
     or  an  exemption from registration under federal and  state
     securities laws.  You agree that any shares purchased by you
     may be issued in the name of you and your spouse if you then
     or recently lived in a community property state.

14.  This  agreement incorporates the Plan by reference.  In  the
     event of a conflict between the terms of this agreement  and
     the  Plan, the Plan, as interpreted and administered by  the
     Committee, shall prevail.

15.  The  option  may be exercised only as to whole  shares.   No
     fractional shares will be issued or delivered.

                               3



Please  indicate your acceptance of the foregoing by signing  the
agreement  and  returning  it  to the  Company  in  the  enclosed
envelope.


                                   Very truly yours,

                                   HOMESTAKE MINING COMPANY


                                   By____________________________



Acceptance and Agreement:

The   foregoing  agreement  is  hereby  accepted  by  me  as   of
___________ (date).




___________________________________
(Signature )


                               4