No person, firm, or corporation shall hold under lease at any one time without special permission from the Secretary of the Interior in excess of the following areas:

1. (a) For deposits of the nature of lodes, or veins containing ores of gold, silver, copper, or other useful metals, 640 acres.
2. (b) For beds of placer gold, gypsum, asphaltum, phosphate, iron ores, and other useful minerals, other than coal, lead, and zinc, 960 acres.
3. (c) For coal, 4,800 acres.
4. (d) For lead and zinc, 1,280 acres.