B727 FLT CREW IS QUESTIONED BY ZDV CTLR AFTER RPTING LEVEL AT 14000 FT; THE PREVIOUS ASSIGNED ALT. B727 WAS DIRECT TO JNL; OFF AIRWAYS.

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WHILE LEVEL AT FL310; WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH ZDV. THEY GAVE US A CLRNC TO DSND TO FL260; THEN PLT'S DISCRETION TO 14000 FT. THE FO AND I EACH WROTE THESE INSTRUCTIONS ON OUR RESPECTIVE SCRATCH PADS AND IT WAS READ BACK TO ATC BY THE FO. THE LOWER ALT WAS ENTERED INTO THE ALERTER BY THE FO AND CONFIRMED BY ME IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR OPERATING PROCS. I INITIATED THE DSCNT AND THE FO RPTED US OUT OF FL310 FOR 14000 FT. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF LEVEL FLT AT 14000 FT; WE CALLED DEN FOR A LOWER ALT. AT THIS POINT; THE CTLR ADVISED US THAT OUR CLRNC WAS ONLY TO 15000 FT. WE EACH QUICKLY CHKED OUR NOTES AND HAD BOTH WRITTEN 14000 FT AS THE LIMIT OF OUR DSCNT CLRNC. THIS WAS DONE BASED SOLELY ON THE XMISSION FROM ZDV AND WITHOUT A CONFERENCE BTWN THE FO; FE AND MYSELF. THE FO ADVISED ATC THAT WE HAD RECEIVED A DSCNT TO 14000 FT; TO WHICH THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT ATC MADE AN ERROR IN THE ISSUANCE OF DSCNT CLRNC TO 14000 FT. AS A CREW; WE PERFORMED IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR COMPANY PROCS; AND AFFORDED ATC 2 OPPORTUNITIES TO CORRECT THEIR APPARENT MISTAKE. IT IS ESPECIALLY UNSETTLING THAT THIS MISTAKE CAN OCCUR IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.