The 2011 Annual Report (which is not a part of the Company's proxy soliciting materials) is being mailed to the Company's shareholders with this Proxy Statement. Upon written request from any person solicited herein, addressed to the Corporate Secretary of Solitario at its principal offices at 4251 Kipling St. Suite 390, Wheat Ridge, Colorado 80033, Solitario will provide, at no cost, a copy of the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 (the "2011 10-K"), without exhibits. A copy of any or all of the exhibits to the 2011 10-K will be furnished for a fee, which will not exceed the Company's reasonable expenses in furnishing the exhibits.

          Proxies are solicited so that each shareholder may have an opportunity to vote. These proxies will enable shareholders to vote on all matters that are scheduled to come before the meeting. When proxies are returned properly executed, the shares represented thereby will be voted in accordance with the shareholders' directions. Shareholders are urged to specify their choices by marking the appropriate boxes on the enclosed proxy card; if no choice has been specified, the shares will be voted as recommended by the Board. Means have been provided whereby a shareholder may withhold his vote for any Director. The proxy card also confers discretionary authority to vote the shares authorized to be voted thereby on any matter that was not known on the date of the Proxy Statement but may properly be presented for action at the Annual Meeting.

          You are asked to sign, date, and return the accompanying proxy card regardless of whether or not you plan to attend the meeting. The approximate date of the mailing of this Proxy Statement and the enclosed form of proxy is May 7, 2012. Any shareholder returning a proxy has the power to revoke it at any time before shares represented by the proxy are voted at the meeting. Any shares represented by an unrevoked proxy will be voted unless the shareholder attends the meeting and votes in person. A shareholder's right to revoke his or her proxy is not limited by or subject to compliance with a specified formal procedure, but written notice should be given to the Corporate Secretary of Solitario at or before the meeting.

          The proposed corporate actions on which the shareholders are being asked to vote at the Annual Meeting are not corporate actions for which shareholders of a Colorado corporation have the right to dissent under the Colorado Business Corporation Act.

          The expense of printing and mailing proxy material will be borne by Solitario. In addition to the solicitation of proxies by mail, solicitation may be made by certain Directors, officers, and other employees of Solitario in person or by telephone or other means of electronic communication. No additional compensation will be paid for such solicitation.

          Arrangements will also be made with brokerage firms and other custodians, nominees, and fiduciaries to forward proxy solicitation material to certain beneficial owners of Solitario's common stock and Solitario will reimburse such brokerage firms, custodians, nominees, fiduciaries for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them in connection therewith.

Shares Outstanding and Votes Required

          The holders of Solitario's $.01 par value common stock (the "Common Stock") at the close of business on April 27, 2012, the record date, are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting. On April 27, 2012 there were 34,229,958 shares of Common Stock outstanding. Each share of Common Stock entitles its holder to one vote. The presence in person or by proxy of holders of record of a majority of the outstanding shares of Common Stock is required to constitute a

quorum for the transaction of business at the meeting. Shares held by persons who abstain and broker non-votes will be counted in determining whether a
quorum is present at the meeting. In the event there are not sufficient votes for a quorum or to approve any proposals at the time of the Annual Meeting, the Annual Meeting may be adjourned in order to permit further solicitation of proxies. 

          If a quorum is present at the meeting:

         The Board of Directors recommends that shareholders vote “FOR” each of the nominees standing for reelection to the Board of Directors; “FOR” approval of the Company’s executive compensation; “THREE YEARS” as the frequency in which the Company shall submit its executive compensation to the shareholders for an advisory vote; and “FOR” the ratification of Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman PC as the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm.

          Proxies submitted properly will be voted in accordance with the instructions contained therein. If the proxy is submitted but voting directions are not provided, the proxy will be voted “FOR” each of the five director nominees, and “FOR” the advisory vote on executive compensation, “FOR” ratification of the appointment of Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman PC as our independent registered public accounting firm, in favor of “THREE YEARS” as the frequency in which the Company will hold future advisory votes on executive compensation, and in such manner as the proxy holders named on the proxy, in their discretion, determine upon such other business as may properly come before the annual meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof.

          If your shares are held through a broker, bank or other nominee (collectively referred to as “brokers”), the broker will vote your shares according to the specific instructions it receives from you. If the broker does not receive voting instructions from you, the broker may vote only on a proposal that is considered a “routine” matter.  Brokers may vote on “routine” matters without specific instruction from the shareholder.  The ratification of Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman PC is a routine matter; however, each of the following proposals being considered at the Annual Meeting is not considered a routine matter: (i) the election of directors, (ii) the advisory vote on executive compensation, and (iii) the advisory vote on the frequency of the vote on executive compensation. Accordingly, if you do not give instructions to your broker it will not be authorized to vote your shares with respect to the non-routine matters being considered at the Annual Meeting. The broker’s failure to vote because it lacks discretionary authority to do so, commonly referred to as a “broker non-vote,” will not affect the outcome of the vote on any proposal.

1.          ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

          The Board currently consists of five Directors. The Directors elected at the Annual Meeting will serve until the next Annual Meeting of Shareholders and until their successors are elected and qualified. Unless the vote is withheld by the shareholder, the proxies solicited by the Board will be voted for the re-election of all the current Directors. The five nominees who receive the most votes will be elected. If a shareholder does not vote for a nominee or indicates to "withhold" authority to vote for a nominee on the proxy card, that shareholder's vote will not count either for or against the nominee. There are no family relationships among any of the director nominees and/or executive officers of the Company. Solitario's current nominees for election as Directors are:

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR ALL OF THE NOMINEES LISTED ABOVE.

          It is intended that votes will be cast pursuant to the enclosed proxy for the election of Directors from the foregoing nominees. If any nominee shall not be a candidate for election as a Director at the meeting, it is intended

that votes will be cast pursuant to the enclosed proxy for such substitute nominees as may be nominated by the existing Directors. No circumstances are presently known which would render any nominee named herein unavailable to serve as a Director.

Meetings of Board of Directors

          During the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011, there were four meetings of the Board. Each of the incumbent Directors attended all of the meetings held while they served as a Director. Each of the incumbent Directors attended all meetings held by committees of the Board on which they served during 2011. All of the references to meetings exclude actions taken by written consent. Board members are not required to attend annual meetings of shareholders. Mr. Herald attended the annual meeting of shareholders held on June 9, 2011.

Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee

          In June of 2006, the Board approved the charter for and formed the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board (the "Nominating Committee"), a current copy of which is available on the Company website at www.solitarioxr.com. The members of the Nominating Committee are all independent members of the Board in accordance with the definition of independence of NYSE-Amex listing standards set forth in the NYSE Company Guide. The Nominating Committee did not hold a meeting during 2011 or 2010. There were no director nominations proposed during 2011 or 2010.

          The primary purposes of the Nominating Committee are to (a) identify individuals qualified to become Board members, and select or recommend director nominees; (b) develop and recommend to the Board corporate governance principles applicable to the Corporation; (c) lead the Board in its review of the Board's performance; and (d) recommend to the Board director nominees for each committee.

          Pursuant to Section 2.11 of our Bylaws, candidates for election as directors at any meeting of shareholders may be made (a) by, or at the direction of, a majority of the members of the Board or (b) by any shareholder entitled to vote at such a meeting. The Board makes no distinction in evaluating candidates who come to their attention directly or who are nominated by any shareholder. The Nominating Committee does not have specific minimum qualifications that a candidate must possess for consideration.

          In order to qualify for consideration at a shareholder meeting, shareholder nominations must be in writing addressed to the Secretary of Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp. not less than 60 days nor more than 90 days prior to the date of a scheduled shareholders' meeting; provided, however, that if less than 70 days notice or prior public disclosure of the scheduled date of such a meeting is given or made, notice of a shareholder nomination must be delivered or received not later than the close of business on the 10^th day following the earlier of the day on which such notice of the date of the scheduled meeting was mailed or the day on which such public disclosure was made.

          Such shareholder's notice shall set forth (a) as to each person whom the shareholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director and as to the shareholder giving the notice (i) the name, age, business address and residence address of such person, (ii) the principal occupation or employment of such person, (iii) the class and number of shares of stock of the Company which are beneficially owned by such person of the date of such shareholder notice and (iv) any other information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies with respect to nominees for election as directors, pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and (b) as to the shareholder giving the notice (i) the name and address, as they appear on the Company's books, of such shareholder and any other shareholders known by such shareholder to be supporting such nominees and (ii) the class and number of shares of stock of the Company which are beneficially owned by such shareholder on the date of such shareholder notice and by any other shareholders known by such shareholder to be supporting such nominees on the date of such shareholder notice.

          The Board may reject any shareholder nomination not timely made in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.11 of Solitario's Bylaws. Furthermore, if the Board determines that the information provided in a shareholder's notice does not satisfy the informational requirements of Section 2.11 of the Bylaws in any material respect, the Secretary will promptly notify such shareholder of the deficiency in the notice. The shareholder will then have an opportunity to cure the deficiency by providing additional information to the Secretary within such period of time, not to exceed 5 days from the date such deficiency notice is given to the shareholder, as the Board shall reasonably determine. If the deficiency is not cured within such time period, or if the Board reasonably determines that the additional information provided by the shareholder, together with information previously provided, does not satisfy the requirements of Section 2.11 of the Company's Bylaws in any material respect, then the Board may reject

such shareholder's nomination. The Secretary of the Company shall notify a shareholder in writing whether his or her nomination has been made in accordance with the time and information requirements of the Company's Bylaws. Notwithstanding the procedure set forth above, if the Board does not make a determination as to the validity of any shareholder nominations, the presiding officer of the meeting of the shareholders shall determine and declare at the meeting whether a nomination was made in accordance with the terms of the Company's Bylaws and shall accept or reject the nomination accordingly.

Audit Committee

          Solitario has a separately-designated standing audit committee established in accordance with section 3(a)(58)(A) of the Exchange Act. The Audit Committee consists of Mr. Hainey, Mr. Harris and Mr. Labadie, each of whom is independent in compliance with the listing standards of the NYSE Amex set forth in the NYSE Amex Company Guide. The Board has determined that Mr. Hainey is the audit committee financial expert as defined in Item 407 of Regulation S-K. The Audit Committee acts under a written charter adopted and approved by the Board on July 26, 2006, a current copy of which is available on the Company website at www.solitarioxr.com. The Audit Committee reviews Solitario's financial reporting process on behalf of the Board. Management has the primary responsibility for the financial statements and the reporting processes, including the system of internal controls. The Audit Committee met four times during the year ended December 31, 2011.

Audit Committee Report

          In performing its duties the Audit Committee reviewed and discussed the audited financial statements contained in the 2011 Annual Report on Form 10-K with management and Solitario's independent registered public accountant, Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman PC ("Ehrhardt"). The Audit Committee met with Ehrhardt, and discussed all issues deemed to be significant by Ehrhardt, including any matters required by Rule 2-07 of Regulation S-X, "Communication with Audit Committees" and Codification of Statements on Auditing Standards No. AU 380, "Communications with Audit Committees," and without management present, discussed and reviewed the results of the independent auditor's examination of the financial statements. In addition, in accordance with Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1, "Independence Discussions with Audit Committees" as amended or supplemented, the Audit Committee discussed with Ehrhardt its independence from Solitario and its management, and has received and reviewed the written disclosures and letter from Ehrhardt required by applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding Ehrhardt’s communications with the Audit Committee including that Ehrhardt is independent and has discussed Ehrhardt’s independence with them.

          Based on the reviews and discussions outlined above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that Solitario include the audited financial statements in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 which was filed with the SEC on March 12, 2012.

               AUDIT COMMITTEE
               John Hainey, Chairman
               Leonard Harris
               Brian Labadie

Compensation Committee

          On June 27, 2006, the Board approved the charter for and formed the Compensation and Management Development Committee (the "Compensation Committee"). A current copy of the Compensation Committee charter is available on the Company website at www.solitarioxr.com. Mr. Labadie, Mr. Jones and Mr. Harris are the members of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee met once during 2011.

          The primary purposes of the Compensation Committee are to (a) review from time to time and approve the overall management evaluation and compensation policies of Solitario; (b) review and approve goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of the executive officers, including the chief executive officer, of Solitario and evaluate the performance of Solitario's executive officers; (c) set the compensation of the executive officers of Solitario, in light of the Compensation Committee's review; (d) review, approve and periodically evaluate Solitario's compensation and other benefit plans, including incentive compensation and equity-based plans and programs for non-employee directors, executive officers and senior management, and make recommendations as necessary; (e) review and approve any amendments and modifications to any such plan or program requiring approval of the Board, subject to applicable regulatory and shareholder approval requirements; (f) review and approve the granting of options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights and other equity-based grants to Solitario's non-employee directors,

executive officers and senior management consistent with the Corporation's incentive compensation plans and programs and compensation and retention strategy, subject to ratification by the Board; (g) review and approve plans of the Company for management development and senior managerial succession; (h) oversee compliance with the applicable compensation reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission and (i) conduct an annual performance self-evaluation of the Committee and prepare an annual report thereon to the Board. The Compensation Committee has not engaged compensation consultants but has the authority to do so under the Compensation Committee charter. Further, the Compensation Committee may form, and delegate authority to, subcommittees when appropriate.

          The scope and authority of the Compensation Committee, including the role of executive officers and compensation consultants in determining or recommending the amount and form of compensation and the ability of the Compensation Committee to delegate authority, are more fully described in the Compensation Committee charter.

Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation

          Mr. Labadie, Mr. Jones and Mr. Harris are the members of the Compensation Committee and are independent in accordance with the definition of independence set forth in the NYSE-Amex Company Guide. No member of the Compensation Committee is currently or been an officer or employee of Solitario for the last three years or had a relationship with Solitario required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K.

Compensation Committee Report

          The Compensation Committee has reviewed , evaluated and discussed the (i) allocation of executive compensation, including the allocation of compensation between salary, paid in cash and deferred compensation based in stock option grants and awards; (ii) goals and objectives of our executive compensation including the need to be competitive with peer companies to retain and attract the best available executive talent; (iii) existing elements of executive compensation including salary, bonus and stock options, and (iv) performance of our existing executives, including our CEO against general targets and goals including budgets, exploration activities and success, the performance of our stock and other measures. Neither the Compensation Committee nor management has engaged any compensation consultants in determining or recommending the amount or form of executive or director compensation in the last year. The compensation committee has reviewed recommendations prepared by our CEO for levels of compensation for Mr. Hunt, our Chief Operating Officer and Mr. Maronick, our Chief Financial Officer. The Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed with management the Company's Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement. Based on such review and discussions, the Compensation Committee has recommended to the Board of Directors that the Compensation Discussion and Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.

               COMPENSATION COMMITTEE
               Brian Labadie, Chairman
               Leonard Harris
               Mark E. Jones III

Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance

          Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 requires Solitario's Directors and executive officers, and persons who own more than ten percent of a registered class of Solitario's equity securities, to file with the SEC initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of Common Stock and other equity securities of Solitario. Officers, Directors, greater than ten percent shareholders are required by SEC regulation to furnish Solitario with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they file. To Solitario's knowledge, based solely on review of the copies of such reports furnished to Solitario and written representations that no other reports were required, during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 no person failed to meet the Section 16(a) filing requirements applicable to officers, Directors, and greater than ten percent beneficial owners except that Mr. Herald filed one report one day late related to a purchase of 1,200 shares of our common stock in September 2011.

Shareholder Communications

          We endeavor to keep all shareholders well informed as to financial performance of the Company, primarily by means of its annual and quarterly reports and by press releases. The Board and management of Solitario are receptive to shareholder feedback in any form. It is Solitario's policy to receive and respond promptly to shareholder inquiries

while being guided by legal requirements as well as the Company's policies with respect to confidentiality and disclosure requirements. Shareholders wishing to send communications to the Board should write to either the Chairman of the Board or to the Secretary of the Company at the following address: Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp., 4251 Kipling St., Suite 390, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033. All such communication shall state the type and amount of the Company's securities held by the shareholder and shall clearly state the communication is intended to be shared with or directed only to the Board, or if applicable, with a specific committee of the Board or specified individual shareholders. The Chairman of the Board or the Secretary of the Company, as applicable, will forward such communication to the members of the Board or specific committee of the Board or specified individual shareholders.

Indemnification of Directors

          Our Articles of Incorporation authorize our Board to the fullest extent permitted by Colorado law as now or hereafter in effect, to indemnify any Director of Solitario. The Board shall be entitled to determine the terms of such indemnification, including advance of expenses, and to give effect thereto through the adoption of Bylaws, approval of agreements, or by any other manner approved by the Board. Any amendment to or repeal of the authorization of indemnification contained in our Articles of Incorporation shall not adversely affect any right of a Director of Solitario thereunder with respect to any right to indemnification that arises prior to such amendment.

Code of Ethics

          We adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics including a Code of Ethics applicable to the principal executive officer and the principal financial and accounting officer of Solitario (the "Code of Ethics") on June 27, 2006, a copy of which may be found on our website at www.solitarioxr.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Any person who wishes to receive a copy of the Code of Ethics may do so at no charge by written request to Investor Relations, Solitario Exploration & Royalty Corp., 4251 Kipling St, Suite 390, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033.

Board Leadership and Risk Oversight

          We have maintained separate individuals in the position of Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and non-executive Chairman of the Board of Solitario since our inception. Our non-executive Chairman serves as liaison between the CEO and other independent directors, approves meeting agendas and schedules and notifies other members of the Board of Directors regarding any significant concerns of shareholders or interested parties of which he becomes aware. Our non-executive Chairman presides at all Board meetings he attends and provides advice and counsel to the Chief Executive Officer. We believe the separation of these positions, with an independent non-executive Chairman, provides Solitario with valuable independent direction and advice for our CEO and our other executive officers.

          Our Board of Directors is responsible for the overall risk oversight of Solitario. Directors are entitled to rely on management and the advice of the Corporation’s outside advisors and auditors, but must at all times have a reasonable basis for such reliance. The Board of Directors delegates the day-to-day risk management of Solitario to the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, each of whom periodically report to the Board of Directors and to certain committees of the Board of Directors. The Audit Committee oversees our financial and reporting risks, including our hedging risks and these risks are discussed at no less than one Audit Committee meeting per year, providing the Audit Committee members the opportunity to discuss the risks and the risk mitigation process. The Compensation Committee oversees the risks arising from our compensation policies and practices and provides a report to the Board of Directors regarding the compensation of the CEO and executive officers. The Nominating Committee evaluates and recommends individuals for nomination to the Board of Directors in the event of a vacancy in the Board of Directors.

2.          COMPENSATION PLANS

Plans previously approved by shareholders

          The Solitario Resources Corporation 2006 Stock Option Incentive Plan (the "2006 Option Plan") was approved by shareholders and became effective June 27, 2006, the shareholders approved certain modifications to the 2006 Option Plan on June 14, 2007, which became The Solitario Resources Corporation 2006 Stock Option Incentive Plan (as amended), (the "2006 Plan"). Under the 2006 Plan, up to 2,800,000 shares may be issued pursuant to options granted by the Board under the 2006 Plan to directors, officers, employees and consultants with an exercise price that is not less than the market price of Solitario's Common Stock on the date of grant. Under the terms of the 2006 Plan, the total number of outstanding options from all plans may not exceed 2,800,000. The 2006 Plan defines the market price as the closing market price in Canadian dollars on the Toronto Stock Exchange (the "TSX") on the date of the granting of such option by the Board.           

          The total number of shares of Solitario Common Stock available for issue from the exercise of all outstanding options from the 2006 Plan as of April 27, 2012 is 2,433,400 shares, which represents 7.1% of the 34,229,958 shares of Solitario Common Stock outstanding on that date.

3.          EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

Compensation of Directors

         In addition to any options granted pursuant to the 2006 Plan, our Directors receive the following compensation in their capacities as Directors:

Annual Director retainer fee:                                  $10,000 (2,500 per quarter)
Additional Chairman fee:                                        $6,000 (1,500 per quarter)
Additional Vice Chairman fee:                                $3,000 (750 per quarter)
Additional Audit Committee Chairman fee:          $2,000 (500 per quarter)

          All the above referenced fees are paid quarterly. Fees cover participation in all board and committee meetings, including the position of all committee chairmen (excluding audit chairman that receives an additional fee). A deduction of $1,000 will be made for any regularly scheduled board meeting (four quarterly meetings) that is missed.

          The following table provides summary information regarding compensation earned by our Directors during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011

DIRECTOR COMPENSATION

(1)          Mr. Herald received a salary, bonus, option award and other compensation for his services as an officer of Solitario during the year ended December 31, 2011, which are shown below under the “Summary Compensation Table”.
(2)          No option awards were granted during the year ended December 31, 2011.
(3)          Mr. Labadie has an aggregate of 217,000 stock options outstanding at December 31, 2011.
(4)          Mr. Hainey has an aggregate of 175,000 stock options outstanding at December 31, 2011.
(5)          Mr. Harris has an aggregate of 162,000 stock options outstanding at December 31, 2011.
(6)          Mr. Jones has an aggregate of 236,000 stock options outstanding at December 31, 2011.

Executive Officers

The following biographies describe the business experience of our executive officers (the "Named Executive Officers"):

          Christopher E. Herald    See Directors biographies above.

          Walter H. Hunt (61) has been Chief Operating Officer of Solitario since June of 2008 and Vice President - Operations and President - South American Operations of Solitario since June 1999. He also served as Vice President - Peru Operations from July 1994 until June 1999. Mr. Hunt was also Vice President - Operations of Crown from 1994 until completion of the Crown - Kinross Merger in August of 2006. Mr. Hunt has over 20 years of exploration, development and operational experience with Anaconda Minerals, Noranda and Echo Bay Mines where he served as Superintendent, Technical Services and Chief Geologist at Echo Bay's Kettle River Operations. Mr. Hunt received his M.S. degree in Geology from the Colorado School of Mines and a B.S. degree from Furman University.

          James R. Maronick (56) has served as Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer of Solitario since 1999 and was Chief Financial Officer of Crown from June 1999 until completion of the Crown - Kinross Merger in August of 2006. Prior to that, Mr. Maronick served as Vice President - Finance and Secretary/Treasurer of Consolidated Nevada Gold Fields Corporation from November 1994 to September 1997. Mr. Maronick graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame in 1977 with a BA in accounting and received his Masters degree in Finance with highest honors from the University of Denver in 1986.

4.          ADVISORY VOTE ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

          We are asking Solitario shareholders to approve an advisory resolution on the compensation of our named executive officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement.

          As described more fully in the Compensation Discussion & Analysis below, our executive compensation program is structured to align the interests of our executive officers (each of whom maintains a significant shareholder position in our Company) with those of our non-affiliated shareholders and to fairly reward them for creating shareholder value and for achieving our business objectives. Our primary objectives are to retain our executives and have the ability to attract new executives as necessary and to fairly compensate our current executives, including rewarding performance that supports our principles of building shareholder value, and may also recognize individual performance from time to time.

          We believe that our executive compensation program, which relies on clear and simple objectives for executive performance and reward, has been effective at incenting the achievement of positive results and strong financial performance by our named executive officers, appropriately aligning pay and performance and in enabling us to attract and retain talented executives within our industry.

          We are asking our shareholders to indicate their support for our executive compensation program as described in this Proxy Statement. This proposal gives our shareholders the opportunity to express their views on our fiscal year 2011 executive compensation policies and procedures. It is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of our named executive officers and the policies and procedures described in this proxy statement. Accordingly, In accordance with Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, we ask our shareholders to approve the following resolution:

“RESOLVED THAT:

Solitario shareholders approve the compensation of Solitario’s named executive officers, as disclosed in this proxy statement, pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission set forth in Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including, but not limited to, the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables, and any related material disclosed in the proxy statement for the 2012 annual general meeting.”

          The advisory vote on executive compensation is not intended to address any specific element of compensation and is advisory, which means that the vote is not binding on the Company, our Board or our Compensation Committee. However, our Board and the Compensation Committee will review the voting results in connection with their ongoing evaluation of our compensation programs and may consider the outcome of the vote when making future compensation decisions.

          If a quorum is present at the meeting, the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast at the meeting will be required for approval of this proposal. Each share of Common Stock is entitled to one vote on this proposal. As noted

above, for the purposes of the vote on this proposal, abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the result of the vote.

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS THAT THE SHAREHOLDERS VOTE FOR APPROVAL OF THE COMPENSATION OF OUR NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AS DISCLOSED IN THIS PROXY STATEMENT.

5.          COMPENSATION DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS

          The following discussion provides information regarding the compensation program for Solitario's Named Executive Officers for 2011.

Objectives of the Corporation's Compensation Program

          The Compensation Committee has responsibility for approving the compensation program for Solitario's Named Executive Officers and acts according to a charter that has been approved by the Board and is available on the Company website at www.solitarioxr.com. The compensation program is designed to attract, retain and reward our executives who contribute to Solitario's long-term success. This in turn is intended to build value for Solitario and its shareholders. The program is based upon three fundamental principles:

(1)          A substantial portion of Solitario's Named Executive Officer compensation should be performance and equity-based to achieve alignment with shareholder interests.

          This is accomplished in two ways; first, through the award of stock options in an amount and with such terms that encourages our Named Executive Officers to promote the long-term growth and performance of Solitario in terms of the value of the Company which is ultimately reflected in the price of our stock as quoted on the TSX and the NYSE-Amex. Second, this is also reflected in terms of cash compensation in the form of cash bonuses. These bonuses are entirely set by the Compensation Committee, in their sole discretion, in a range of zero to 100% of base salary. The extent to which bonuses are paid depends entirely on the extent to which the Compensation Committee believes Solitario has met its exploration, budget and shareholder goals, set by the Committee. The Compensation Committee did not authorize the payment of any bonuses for the performance of the Named Executive Officers during 2011. The Compensation Committee authorized the payment to each of the Named Executive Officers a bonus of $94,500 to Mr. Herald, and $52,500 each to Mr. Maronick and Mr. Hunt, which was paid in February 2011 for the performance of the Named Executive Officers during 2010.

(2)          Solitario's compensation program for Named Executive Officers should enable the Company to compete for the best executive talent available.

          The Compensation Committee believes shareholders are best served when the Company can attract and retain the highest caliber executives appropriate for a firm of our size and complexity. This is done with competitive and fair compensation packages. Our Named Executive Officers have served Solitario for many years. During 2009, 2010 and 2011 the Compensation Committee reviewed the published compensation surveys and publically available compensation disclosures of several of our peer group companies (“Peer Group Companies”) for which Solitario competes for executive talent as the Compensation Committee believes that each of these public companies is of a similar size to, and in a similar industry as, the Company. These Peer Group Companies included the following companies:

          These reviews were not used to create specific benchmarks applicable to our Named Executive Officer compensation levels. These reviews were used to inform the members of the compensation committee of current standards in the industry as such standards may relate, in their independent judgment, to appropriate modifications to Solitario's existing compensation levels in setting new compensation levels. The differences in Solitario's activities, which are more narrowly focused to the development of the Mt. Hamilton project and early stage exploration, compared to the activities of the Peer Group Companies; and the difference in the number of total employees of Solitario, which currently has approximately 25 employees world-wide, compared to the Peer Group Companies, do not lend itself to effective use of specific benchmarks.

          Based upon these reviews, during 2011, the Compensation Committee increased the salary of Mr. Herald for 2011 four percent to $218,400, the salary of Mr. Maronick for 2011 was increased four percent to $156,000 and the salary of Mr. Hunt for 2011 was increased 10% to $165,000. No change was made to the compensation set in 2009 for 2010. The Compensation Committee has not increased the compensation levels for 2012 from 2011.

(3)          Solitario's compensation program for Named Executive Officers should be fair to the executive, the Company and all its employees and perceived as such, both internally and externally.

          The Compensation Committee strives to create a compensation program that promotes good corporate practice, encourages our Named Executive Officers to perform at a high level and promotes teamwork among our employees. The Compensation Committee takes these goals into consideration by comparison of executive pay in relation to all other Solitario salary costs for internal consistency, and by comparison to both Peer Group Companies and industry salaries for external consistency. In addition, the compensation program is meant to enhance shareholder value and the Compensation Committee strives to provide transparency and full disclosure to all interested parties.

          The Compensation Committee has no authority to recover salary, bonuses or stock option awards made to Named Executive Officers. Although the Compensation Committee has the ability to consider prior compensation (e.g. gains from prior option grants) in setting current compensation, it has no formal procedure or requirement to do so. The Compensation Committee does not set or utilize benchmarks of any kind to set, evaluate or allocate compensation. There have been no actions taken or adjustments made to the process of setting executive compensation discussed herein by the Compensation Committee subsequent to December 31, 2011.

Key Elements of Executive Compensation

          The elements of the Company’s compensation program are intended to balance long term and short term compensation for its executives and attempt to motivate executives to provide excellent leadership and achieve Company goals by linking short-term (such as salaries and benefits) and long-term incentives (such as equity based compensation) to the achievement of business objectives, thereby aligning the interests of executives and shareholders. The key elements of the compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers are outlined below.

Base Salary

          The Compensation Committee attempts to provide base salary to the Company’s Named Executive Officers that is commensurate with their review of our Peer Group Companies, listed above. The Compensation Committee fixed the base salary for the Named Executive Officers for 2011 (which commenced on January 1, 2011) during its meeting in February 2011. Increases or decreases in base salary are dependent on the Compensation Committee's evaluation of each individual Named Executive Officer performance, the effect of a peer group review, the performance of the entire Company relative to the Company’s general goals and objectives, and the Company’s current and projected financial resources. No Named Executive Officers receive minimum base salary payments pursuant to any employment, or other, agreements. The Compensation Committee has authority from the Board to set the base salary at any amount it believes is appropriate. Although the Compensation Committee, has used its review of the accomplishments of the Named Executive Officers against general goals of the corporation, including planned exploration programs, development of the Mt. Hamilton project, corporate financing activities and the price of a share of Solitario’s stock, among other things, the Compensation Committee has full discretion to set compensation levels and has not set specific compensation levels to specific criteria. Some of the general criteria are discussed below.

Bonuses

          The Compensation Committee may provide bonuses to the Named Executive Officers, in its sole discretion, based upon their evaluation of the individual Named Executive Officer in light of the certain parameters, including the following:

          In establishing its goals for any particular year, the Compensation Committee strives to ensure that the goals provide both an incentive and an attainable goal that provides shareholders with the opportunity for return on their investment while minimizing corporate and shareholder risk to the extent possible. Although certain targets and goals related to potential property acquisitions and/or potential merger or acquisition activities, if any, are confidential, the Compensation Committee has structured these types of goals to be reasonable and obtainable by our Named Executive Officers, without undue risk to the assets of Solitario. Due to the nature of Solitario's corporate activities relating to (i) the ongoing development of Mt. Hamilton, including completion of a feasibility Study in February 2012 and ongoing permitting and other related activities and (ii) early-stage exploration of mineral properties located in Peru, Mexico and Brazil; the goals for Solitario’s Named Executive Officers are not specifically related to traditional financial metrics, such as revenue growth, earnings or earnings per share. The targets and goals are more subjective and generally include the negotiation and signing of land and royalty joint ventures on our existing properties, including Mt. Hamilton, exploration activities and success, both on our own and through joint ventures, acquisition of additional exploration properties, training and retaining employees, maintaining adequate liquidity to fund future exploration activities, financial reporting and disclosure, and shareholder return. The Compensation Committee also evaluates the financial strength and prospects for the junior exploration segment of the mining industry. The Compensation Committee reviews the annual goals with the named executives at or near the start of each year. The evaluation of the performance of our Named Executive Officers, relative to the goals outlined herein, has been and is expected to continue to be at the discretion of the Compensation Committee. The Compensation Committee determined that no bonuses in addition to annualized base salary would be paid for 2011 performance, based upon an analysis of the financial condition of the minerals industry and Solitario during the year then ended.

Equity

          The only equity compensation our Named Executive Officers receive is in the form of stock options pursuant to the 2006 Plan, priced at the current market value of our publicly traded stock (as defined) in the 2006 Plan. The Compensation Committee believes that a substantial portion of our Named Executive Officers’ compensation should be performance based upon and tied to the long term value of the Company. The Compensation Committee also believes that our compensation policies should be fair to our shareholders, and be focused on our long-term viability. The Compensation Committee believes the granting of stock options from the 2006 Plan aligns the interests of the Named Executive Officers and our shareholders and provides the incentive to manage the Company from the perspective of an owner of the Company. In addition, the Compensation Committee believes the vesting terms of the stock options granted from the 2006 Plan, discussed below, provide that a significant portion of the compensation will be received at a future date, which provides a tempered longer-term incentive for our Named Executive Officers as well as an incentive for them to remain with the Company.

          The amount of all individual grants and the grant date of the stock options are determined each year at the summer meeting of the Compensation Committee at the discretion of the Compensation Committee, usually after the completion of the annual meeting of shareholders. All grants are as of the date of the approval by the Compensation Committee (or the full Board, if requested by the Compensation Committee) at the market value on the date of grant. All grants from the 2006 Plan vest 25% on the date of grant and the remaining options vest at 25% per year on the anniversary of the grant over a three-year period. The Compensation Committee determined no options would be granted during the year ended December 31, 2011 as the Compensation Committee believed each of the Named Executive Officers already holds options that are intended to tie each executive’s interests to the long term success of the Company.

Allocation between the Key Elements of Compensation

          The Compensation Committee has complete discretion in allocating total compensation between the key elements of compensation discussed above. Each of the individual components of compensation is evaluated by the Compensation Committee independently and each component is not evaluated based upon the other components. The Compensation Committee has not developed a set formula (such as fair value of equity compensation to equal 50% of base salary) to allocate the elements of compensation to each individual Named Executive Officer.

Employment Agreements

          None of our Named Executive Officers have ongoing employment agreements other than individual Change in Control Severance Benefits Agreements, discussed below.

Change in Control Agreements

          The Compensation Committee and Solitario consider it essential to the best interest of its shareholders to foster

the continuous employment of key management personnel. In this regard, the Compensation Committee and Board recognize that, as is the case with many publicly held corporations and their subsidiaries, the possibility of a change in control may exist and that such possibility, and the uncertainty and questions which it may raise among management, may result in the departure or distraction of management personnel to the detriment of the Company and its shareholders.

          Accordingly, on March 14, 2007, the Compensation Committee approved separate Change in Control Severance Benefits Agreements (each a "CIC") for Mr. Herald, Mr. Maronick and Mr. Hunt, our Named Executive Officers. Each CIC provides for the payment of severance benefits if the employment of one of the Named Executive Officers is terminated for a period of three years following the last day of the month in which a Change in Control of Solitario occurs (as defined in the CIC) equal to 2.5 times the base salary of the Named Executive Officer. In addition any unvested stock options held by the Named Executive Officer will vest upon the Change in Control. The CIC provides an additional gross up for any taxes due as a result of Excise Tax, as defined by Section 4999 of the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1986 (the "Code").

          Generally, the CIC defines a "Change in Control" as (i) a person acquiring more than 50% of the outstanding stock of the Company, (ii) the shareholders of the Company approving a merger or acquisition whereby more than 50% of the outstanding shares held prior to the vote will be held by a new person or corporation, (iii) the shareholders of the Company approving the sale or disposition of substantially all of the company's assets or (iv) the shareholders of the Company approving a plan of liquidation or dissolution of the Company.

          The Change in Control benefits are to be paid after a change in control if the Named Executive Officer terminates his employment for "good reason," or is terminated by the Corporation, other than for "cause." "Good reason" is generally defined as a reduction in the compensation, level of responsibility or forced relocation, among other things. "Cause" is generally defined in the CIC as the conviction of a felony, gross and willful failure to perform assigned duties, and dishonest conduct that is intentional and materially injurious to the Company.

Tax Implications of Executive Compensation

          Under Section 162(m) of the Code, the Company generally receives a tax deduction for compensation on payments which total less than $1,000,000 paid to our Named Executive Officers, unless that compensation is performance based. The total non-performance based compensation for any of our Named Executive Officers did not exceed $1,000,000 during 2011, nor do we anticipate it will exceed $1,000,000 for the foreseeable future.

Stock Ownership Guidelines

          Solitario has not established formal stock ownership guidelines for our Named Executive Officers. The Company's Insider Trading Policy prohibits the Named Executive Officers, as well as other insiders, who may have access to material inside information, from purchasing, selling, entering into short sale transactions, engaging in hedging or offsetting transactions regarding Solitario's common stock during periods where such persons have access to material inside information.

Compensation Policies with Regard to Risk Management

          Solitario’s Board is responsible for the overall risk management of the Company. Solitario is subject to the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties and shareholders should carefully review Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in our 2011 10-K. However, Solitario does not have any compensation plans or incentives for our Named Executive Officers or any employee for any risk taking activity or risk management activities. Solitario does not engage in activities that have traditional incentives for financial risk taking activities, such as buying or selling derivatives or other similar instruments, other than our limited use of derivatives to reduce our exposure to our holdings of Kinross common stock.

Role of the Chief Executive Officer in Compensation Decisions

          The Chief Executive Officer annually reviews the performance of all other Named Executive Officers. The performance of the Chief Executive Officer is reviewed by the Chairman of the Compensation Committee. The conclusions and recommendations, which include salary, bonus and equity grants, if any, are presented to the Compensation Committee, which has absolute discretion in modifying or applying any of the recommendations for the Named Executive Officers. The Compensation Committee presents its conclusions and recommendations to the Board for their input and review.

6.          SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

Summary Compensation Table

The following table provides summary information regarding compensation earned by our Named Executive Officers for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009:

SUMMARY COMPENSATION TABLE

(1)          Amount for bonus earned during the year. No bonus amount was earned during 2011 and 2009.

(2)          The amount represents the grant date fair value of option awards granted during the year in accordance with FASB ASC no.                718.

a.     No options were granted during 2011.

b.     The 2010 options were granted on May 5, 2010, have a five-year term and vest 25% on grant date and 25% on the next three anniversary dates. The assumptions used in determining our 2010 grant date fair value are based upon a Black-Scholes model using a five year term, historical volatility of 57%, a risk-free interest rate of 2.2%, and a Canadian dollar – United States dollar exchange rate of 0.98123.

c.     The 2009 options were granted on May 19, 2009, have a five-year term and vest 25% on grant date and 25% on the next three anniversary dates. The assumptions used in determining our 2009 grant date fair value are based upon a Black-Scholes model using a five year term, historical volatility of 56%, a risk-free interest rate of 1.9%, and a Canadian dollar – United States dollar exchange rate of 0.85320.

(3)          Mr. Herald, Mr. Maronick and Mr. Hunt each received a 401(K) match of the amounts listed during 2011, 2010 and 2009,                respectively.

(4)          Mr. Herald has an aggregate of 482,500 stock options outstanding at December 31, 2011

7.          OPTION EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED

The following table sets forth details of all exercises of stock options during the year ended December 31, 2011 by our Named Executive Officers.

(1)  Amount represents the difference between the closing share price (market value) as quoted on the TSX on the date of exercise less the exercise price times the number of shares exercised, multiplied by the Cdn$/US$ currency exchange rate on the date of exercise.

8.          OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR END

At December 31, 2011 the following equity awards were outstanding:

OUTSTANDING EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR END

9.          POTENTIAL PAYMENTS UPON TERMINATION OR CHANGE IN CONTROL

          As noted under "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" in this Proxy Statement, the Company entered into certain change in control agreements on March 14, 2007 with the following Named Executive Officers: Christopher E. Herald, James R. Maronick and Walter H. Hunt (as defined above, each a “CIC”). The terms of the change in control agreements are more fully described under "Change in Control Agreements" in the "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" section of this Proxy. Described below are the potential payments to each Named Executive Officer, in the event of an assumed change in control as defined in the applicable CIC", as of December 31, 2011.

10.          ADVISORY VOTES ON FREQUENCY OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION ADVISORY VOTE

          In accordance with Section 14A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, we are seeking an advisory vote from our shareholders on how often the Company should hold an advisory vote on executive compensation. You may vote for every one, two or three years, or you may abstain from voting. We are required to solicit shareholder preferences regarding the frequency of future advisory votes on executive compensation at least once every six (6) years.

          The Board believes that our shareholders should consider our executive compensation, together with our corresponding long-term results, once every three (3) years, as that will promote stability and is consistent with the long-term approach the Board takes in overseeing the business and management of our Company and prevents long-term objectives from being undermined by short term issues in the marketplace. In addition, a three-year cycle will allow the Board and the Compensation Committee sufficient time to thoughtfully evaluate and respond to our shareholder’s input and effectively implement any changes to the our executive compensation program.

          Because the vote is advisory and not binding on the Board, it may decide that it is in the best interests of Solitario and our shareholders to hold an advisory vote on executive compensation more or less frequently than the option approved by our shareholders.

          If a quorum is present at the meeting, the frequency of vote option (one (1), two (2), or three years (3)) receiving the highest number of votes will be adopted. Each share of Common Stock is entitled to one vote on this proposal. For the purposes of the vote on this proposal, abstentions and broker non-votes will not be counted as votes cast and will have no effect on the result of the vote.

THE BOARD RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR “THREE YEARS” AS THE FREQUENCY OF FURTURE SHAREHOLDER ADVISORY VOTES ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION, AND PROXIES SOLICITED BY THE BOARD WILL BE SO VOTED IN THE ABSENCE OF INSTRUCTIONS TO THE CONTRARY.

11.          INVOLVEMENT IN CERTAIN LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

         On March 8, 2002, Crown filed a voluntary petition under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (the “Bankruptcy”) in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado (the “Court”). As part of the Bankruptcy, Crown filed a Plan of Reorganization with the Court which was confirmed by the Court on May 30, 2002 and became effective June 11, 2002. Mr. Herald and Mr. Jones were officers and directors of Crown and Mr. Maronick and Mr. Hunt were officers of Crown prior to the filing of the Bankruptcy and since the filing of the Bankruptcy until August 31, 2006 when Crown was acquired by Kinross Gold Corporation.

12.          SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

          To our knowledge, as of April 27, 2012, no person beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, or exercises control or direction over, more than five percent of our issued and outstanding Common Stock with the exception of Sprott Asset Management Inc. and Newmont Mining Corporation of Canada Limited ("Newmont"), which directly own 4,084,840 and 2,700,000 shares, respectively, representing 11.9 percent and 7.9 percent, respectively, of our issued and outstanding Common Stock.

          The following table sets forth, as of April 27, 2012, the beneficial ownership of our outstanding Common Stock by each of our shareholders owning more than five percent, our Directors, nominees for Director, each Named Executive Officer and all of our executive officers and Directors as a group. Unless otherwise indicated, the persons listed in the table below have sole voting and investment powers with respect to the shares indicated. 

  *     Calculated in accordance with rule 13d-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.