XML 21 R48.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.1.9
Property, Plant and Equipment and Assets Held for Sale (Details 2) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 3 Months Ended 6 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Sep. 30, 2014
ha
Jun. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2013
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   $ 243,985,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse      
Proceeds from sale of assets 982,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfProductiveAssets 4,217,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfProductiveAssets      
Gain on sale of assets 689,000us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfAssets 3,626,000us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfAssets      
Zacatecas District          
Property, plant and equipment          
Number of Mining Concessions Sold 45aumn_NumberOfMiningConcessionsSold
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= aumn_ZacatecasDistrictMember
       
Area in Hectares 770aumn_AreaInHectares
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= aumn_ZacatecasDistrictMember
       
Proceeds from sale of assets 700,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfProductiveAssets
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= aumn_ZacatecasDistrictMember
       
Gain on sale of assets 500,000us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfAssets
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= aumn_ZacatecasDistrictMember
       
Peruvian Exploration Properties          
Property, plant and equipment          
Area in Hectares     1,100aumn_AreaInHectares
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_PeruvianExplorationPropertiesMember
   
Amount of Agreement to Sell Property     450,000aumn_AmountOfAgreementToSellProperty
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_PeruvianExplorationPropertiesMember
   
Proceeds from sale of assets 150,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfProductiveAssets
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_PeruvianExplorationPropertiesMember
       
Velardena Properties          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets 0us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
235,326,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
  229,410,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
5,916,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
San Diego Exploration Property          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets 0us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_SanDiegoExplorationPropertyMember
8,659,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_SanDiegoExplorationPropertyMember
  8,428,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_SanDiegoExplorationPropertyMember
231,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_SanDiegoExplorationPropertyMember
Mineral Properties          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   217,524,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MiningPropertiesAndMineralRightsMember
     
Mineral Properties | Velardena Properties          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   217,524,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MiningPropertiesAndMineralRightsMember
  211,608,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MiningPropertiesAndMineralRightsMember
5,916,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MiningPropertiesAndMineralRightsMember
Exploration Properties          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   12,131,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= aumn_ExplorationPropertiesMember
     
Exploration Properties | Mexico          
Property, plant and equipment          
Number of properties whose rights are relinquished as minimum requirement for continued evaluation is not fulfilled   2aumn_NumberOfPropertiesWhoseRightsAreRelinquishedDueToNonFulfillmentOfMinimumRequirementsForContinuedEvaluation
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= aumn_ExplorationPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_MX
     
Assets Held for Sale          
Carrying value of the properties in assets held for sale   200,000us-gaap_AssetsHeldForSaleLongLived
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= aumn_ExplorationPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_MX
    200,000us-gaap_AssetsHeldForSaleLongLived
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= aumn_ExplorationPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= country_MX
Exploration Properties | Velardena Properties          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   3,472,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= aumn_ExplorationPropertiesMember
  3,472,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= aumn_ExplorationPropertiesMember
 
Exploration Properties | San Diego Exploration Property          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   8,659,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_SanDiegoExplorationPropertyMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= aumn_ExplorationPropertiesMember
  8,428,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_SanDiegoExplorationPropertyMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= aumn_ExplorationPropertiesMember
231,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_SanDiegoExplorationPropertyMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= aumn_ExplorationPropertiesMember
Building          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   3,036,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BuildingMember
     
Building | Velardena Properties          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   3,036,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_BuildingMember
     
Mining equipment and machinery          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   10,394,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember
     
Mining equipment and machinery | Argentina          
Property, plant and equipment          
Proceeds from sale of assets 130,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfProductiveAssets
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember
/ us-gaap_StatementGeographicalAxis
= aumn_ArgentinaMember
       
Mining equipment and machinery | Velardena Properties          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   10,394,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_MachineryAndEquipmentMember
     
Other furniture and equipment          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   900,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_OfficeEquipmentMember
     
Other furniture and equipment | Velardena Properties          
Property, plant and equipment          
Impairment of long lived assets   $ 900,000us-gaap_ImpairmentOfLongLivedAssetsHeldForUse
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= aumn_VelardenaPropertiesMember
/ us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis
= us-gaap_OfficeEquipmentMember