Golden Minerals* (AUM : TSX : $19.32), Net Change: -0.06, % Change: -0.31%, Volume: 48,130

ECU Silver Mining* (ECU : TSX : $0.99), Net Change: -0.05, % Change: -4.81%, Volume: 2,163,756

How about Golden ECU Silver & Minerals? Golden Minerals and ECU Silver announced plans to combine the two companies in a merger of equals to create a new junior silver company with a portfolio of growth projects, primarily in Mexico and

Argentina. The combined company will retain the Golden Minerals name and has been unanimously agreed to by the boards of directors of Golden Minerals and ECU, and both boards of directors will be recommending that their respective shareholders

vote in favor of the proposed transaction. Under the terms of the transaction, which will be structured as a plan of arrangement, each ECU share will be exchanged for 0.05 Golden Minerals shares and $0.000394 in cash. Upon completion of the transaction,

existing Golden Minerals shareholders and ECU shareholders will own approximately 49% and 51%, respectively, of the outstanding common stock of the combined company. One of Golden Minerals' largest shareholders with approximately a 19%

ownership stake, has indicated to Golden Minerals that it supports and intends to vote in favour of the proposed transaction. The shareholder has also expressed an interest in investing further capital in the combined company to retain its current proportionate ownership, although no agreement has been reached. New Golden Minerals will have silver mining operations in the Velardena mining district, Durango, Mexico; the El Quevar advanced exploration project in the Salta Province, Argentina; the advanced exploration-stage Zacatecas project in Zacatecas, Mexico; a number of drill testing projects in Peru (Cochabamba, Jehuamarca), Mexico (La Pinta), and Argentina (Atlas); and a large portfolio of approximately 40 exploration properties in the reconnaissance/target delineation stage located primarily in South America. The company will have a Combined Measured and Indicated resources of approximately 25 million ounces silver, 26 million pounds lead and 37 million pounds zinc. Combined

Inferred resources of approximately 187 million ounces silver, 2 million ounces gold, 1 billion pounds lead and 1 billion pounds zinc.