Change of Name

Vane Holdings PLC
17 November 2004


                          VANE Holdings plc (AIM: VHL)

                   Notice of EGM and Proposed Change of Name

The Board of Vane Holdings is proposing to change the Company's name to 'Vane
Minerals plc'. The Board believes that it is important that the name of the
Company more accurately reflects the business area within which it operates. It
is also acknowledged that within the market the Company is already sometimes
referred to as 'VANE Minerals', the name currently used for its trading
subsidiary.

The Company will today post to shareholders a notice convening an Extraordinary
General Meeting at 11.30am on 13 December 2004. Copies of the EGM notice will be
available from the offices of Seymour Pierce Ltd, Bucklersbury House, 3 Queen
Victoria Street, London EC4N 8EL.

It should be noted that subsequent to the proposed change of name new share
certificates will not be issued to existing holders of Ordinary Shares in the
Company. Existing certificates will remain valid.

Enquiries:

VANE Holdings plc    Seymour Pierce Limited    Parkgreen Communications
Matthew Idiens       Sarah Wharry              Justine Howarth / Cathy Malins
020 7667 6322        020 7107 8000             020 7493 3713
www.vaneminerals.com

Notes to editors

VANE Holdings is an exploration and development company focused on defining and
initiating prospective mineral projects. The Company benefits from a highly
qualified and experienced management team with a proven track record in
exploration and development. The Company is ideally placed to capitalise on
project acquisition opportunities, as it has negotiated access to a 7,000+ file
global exploration database, excluding Indonesia, from US mining group
Freeport-McMoRan, one of the world's largest producers of copper and gold.

To date, VANE has acquired 100% of the Diablito project and an option to acquire
100% of the Guadalcazar project. Diablito is an advanced high-grade precious
metal vein deposit located in the State of Nayarit, west-central Mexico and the
Company expects to bring it into production in the first quarter of 2005.
Revenues generated by production at Diablito will be used to help fund
exploration at Guadalcazar, an early stage exploration property consisting of a
large newly recognised hydrothermal gold system having the potential to define a
large gold deposit (possibly in excess of one million ounces). Guadalcazar is
located in east-central Mexico, 80 km northeast of San Luis Potosi in the State
of San Luis Potosi. More recently, VANE Minerals has entered into an option
agreement with Minera PAFEX, S.A. de C.V. to acquire the Mina Charay gold and
silver prospect in the State of Sinaloa in western Mexico.



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