A brief review of some major types of Proterozoic metal deposits indicates that each type is characterized by a distinctive lithologic and tectonic setting. The main types of metalliferous ores considered are: volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposits, sediment-hosted massive sulfide deposits, stratiform copper deposits, carbonate-hosted lead-zinc deposits, magmatic copper-nickel deposits, and banded iron formations. Metal deposits in sedimentary and volcanic rocks dominate Proterozoic metal-logeny, and it can be demonstrated that most formed in tectonic environments characterized by rifting. This association is reinforced by the time-space relationship between specific tectonic environments and metal deposits during Proterozoic time. Although Proterozoic metal deposits are distinctly different from the dominant types of late Phanerozoic deposits, these differences are considered to be primarily a function of erosion levels, and initial deep burial of syngenetic-type deposits. Finally, there seems to be no compelling evidence that tectonic styles or ore-generating systems were markedly different in the Proterozoic versus those of the Phanerozoic.