COMSTOCK MINING COMMENCES HEAP LEACHING

OVER $3.5 MILLION OF RECOVERABLE METAL ON LEACH PAD

Virginia City, NV (September 12, 2012) -- Comstock Mining Inc. (the “Company” or “Comstock”) (NYSE MKT: LODE) is pleased to announce it has commenced its leaching process for gold and silver recovery. The Company also announced that its newly constructed crusher is fully operational and that to-date the Company has crushed, agglomerated and stacked in excess of 70,000 tons of mineralized material on the heap pad.

The leaching process adds a dilute cyanide solution to the heap through a network of drip lines. This solution runs continuously in a fully permitted and lined containment, leaching gold and silver from the material stacked on the heap pads, soon to be recovered through the Company's processing facilities.

"Our operations team is fully dedicated to stabilizing the crushing facility and commissioning the Merrill Crowe. We are mining, hauling, crushing, stacking and leaching,” stated Corrado De Gasperis, President and CEO of Comstock. "We have already amassed over 1,750 ounces of recoverable gold and over 15,000 ounces of recoverable silver on the leach pads and look forward to announcing our first pour and revenue in the coming weeks.”

The Company's process facility includes the 1,000 gallon per minute Merrill-Crowe Plant, a T-200 melting furnace and a mercury retort and abatement system. Five principle contractors were used on this project: Scotia International of Nevada, A.M. Smith Electric, Inc., based in Carson City, Nevada, Briggs Electric, Inc. of Carson City, Nevada and Lyon County contractors Cruz Construction Company Inc. and Coons Construction LLC, each based about ten miles from the mine in Mound House, Nevada.

About Comstock Mining Inc.

Comstock Mining Inc. is a Nevada-based gold and silver mining company with extensive, contiguous property in the Comstock District. The Company began acquiring properties in the Comstock District in 2003. Since then, the Company has consolidated a significant portion of the Comstock District, amassed the single largest known repository of historical and current geological data on the Comstock region, secured permits, built an infrastructure and brought the exploration project into test mining production. The Company continues acquiring additional properties in the district, expanding its footprint and creating opportunities for exploration and mining. The goal of its strategic plan is to deliver stockholder value by validating qualified resources (at least measured and indicated) and reserves (probable and proven) of 3,250,000 gold equivalent ounces in 2013, and commencing commercial mining and processing operations with annual production rates of 20,000 gold equivalent ounces.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release and any related calls or discussions may contain forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements about matters such as: future prices and sales of and demand for our products; future industry market conditions; future changes in our exploration activities, production capacity and operations; future exploration, production, operating and overhead costs; operational and management restructuring activities (including implementation of methodologies and changes in the board of directors); future employment and contributions of personnel; tax and interest rates; capital expenditures and their impact on us; nature, timing and accounting for restructuring charges, gains or losses on debt extinguishment, derivative liabilities and the impact thereof; productivity, business process, rationalization, restructuring, investment, acquisition, consulting, operational, tax, financial and capital projects and initiatives; contingencies; environmental compliance and changes in the regulatory environment; offerings, sales and other actions regarding debt or equity securities; and future working capital, costs, revenues, business opportunities, debt levels, cash flows, margins, earnings and growth.

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