The mineralogy and geochemistry of Pernik subbituminous coals (coal bed A) and some genetic peculiarities related to the mineral formation were studied. The mineral matter of the coal consists chiefly of pyrite, kaolinite, siderite, quartz and calcite. Other minerals (dolomite, ankerite, plagioclase and some sulphates) are present in minor amounts, some occurring as accessory single crystals. Pyrite is the main mineral in these coals and exhibits a large array of textures and morphology. Isolated and clustered euhedral, bacterial and inorganic framboidal, cluster-like, homogeneous and microconcretional massive, infilling and replacing anhedral, and cleat-filling and fracture-filling infiltrational pyrite types were observed. Four stages of mineralization were distinguished: pyrite-kaolinite, pyrite, pyrite-siderite and sulphate stages. The amount of pyrite present in two sections of coal bed A was determined by quantitative powder X-ray diffraction analysis. The concentrations of 37 trace elements were determined. As, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn, Pb, V Ti, Mo, Rb, Cr and Mn are typomorphic for this coal. On the basis of their relation to organic or inorganic matter, four groups of trace elements were subdivided; and on the basis of cluster analysis four associations were differentiated.