We are pleased to inform you that the mineral coronadite has just been identified at the Rosh Pinah Zinc Mine for the first time. 
It is a predominantly lead based mineral with the formula Pb (Mn4+, Mn3+)8O16. It is monoclinic, with a hardness of 4½-5, and a member of the Cryptomelane Group. Its morphology is massive, with boytroidal crusts with a fibrous structure. It was first identified as a mineral in 1904, and is named after Francisco Vasquez de Coronado (ca. 1500-1554), the first Spanish explorer of the American southwest.
 
Acknowledgment for identification of coronadite goes to Dr Barbara Cavalazzi who used the Assore Raman instrument and the SEM at the University of Johannesburg’s Geology Department, and Dr Sabine Verryn of XRD Analytical and Consulting cc, who provided XRD analyses to identify the coronadite. Thank you also to Bruce Cairncross, Allan Fraser, and Gisela Hinder for giving us permission to print this information.