Iron K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been used to examine the iron species that are present within the Argonne Premium Coal Samples. This technique was applied to both native coal samples and ones which had been extracted with concentrated hydrochloric acid. The near-edge absorption spectra (XANES) were analyzed using a deconvolution procedure to determine the relative amounts of ore-ferrous, oxo-ferric, and pyritic environments in the coals. Three coals, Beulah-Zap, Wyodak-Anderson, and Lewiston-Stockton, apparently contain significant amounts of ferric species. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra were used to confirm the pyritic contents that were deduced from the near-edge spectra.