Cash and Cash Equivalents and Short-term Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	24 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Investments:
Available for sale common stock	$ 275	$ 275
Total available for sale	275	275
Total short term	275	275
Total short term	281	334
Financial institutions minimum net worth	$ 1,000,000
Golden Tag
Investments:
Shares received	7,500,000
Additional interest in joint venture (as a percent)	10.00%
Estimated Fair Value.
Investments:
Available for sale common stock	$ 281	334
Total available for sale.	281	334
Total short term	281	334
Carrying Value.
Investments:
Available for sale common stock	281	334
Total available for sale.	281	334
Total short term	$ 281	$ 334
San Diego \| Golden Tag
Investments:
Ownership in property (as a percent)		50.00%

Represents the additional ownership percentage in Joint Venture.

No definition available.

Name:	aumn_AdditionalOwnershipPercentageInJointVenture
Namespace Prefix:	aumn_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the number of shares received in joint venture transaction.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aumn_NumberOfSharesReceivedInJointVentureTransaction
Namespace Prefix:	aumn_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the ownership percentage in a property or project.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	aumn_OwnershipPercentageInProject
Namespace Prefix:	aumn_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent reporting concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 12
-Section 12
-Sentence Column A

+ Details

Name:	invest_InvestmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This item represents the cost of equity securities, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading, net of adjustments for other-than-temporary impairments recognized in earnings (less any cumulative-effect adjustments recognized, as defined), and fair value hedge accounting adjustments, if any.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleEquitySecuritiesAmortizedCostBasis
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65884222&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-Subparagraph (aa)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73527792&loc=d3e27232-111563

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66010992&loc=d3e26610-111562

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This item represents the cost of debt and equity securities, which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading, net of adjustments including accretion, amortization, collection of cash, previous other-than-temporary impairments recognized in earnings (less any cumulative-effect adjustments recognized, as defined), and fair value hedge accounting adjustments, if any.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesAmortizedCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor as trading.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65884222&loc=d3e22054-111558

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66010992&loc=d3e26610-111562

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 320
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6957658&loc=d3e62557-112803

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesEquitySecurities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amortized cost of short-term investments in debt and equity securities and other forms of securities that provide ownership interests classified as available-for-sale.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AvailableForSaleSecuritiesShortTermInvestmentsAmortizedCost
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The lowest amount of net worth (total assets minus total liabilities) required by secondary market investors or state-imposed regulatory mandates.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)(a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6490092&loc=d3e47080-110998

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 948
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6490092&loc=d3e47304-110998

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinimumNetWorthRequiredForCompliance
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of investments including trading securities, available-for-sale securities, held-to-maturity securities, and short-term investments classified as other and current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 944
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.7-03(a)(1)(g))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6879938&loc=d3e572229-122910

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(5))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(6))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 942
-SubTopic 210
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03(4))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ShortTermInvestments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	invest_InvestmentAxis=aumn_JuniorMiningCompanyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_EstimateOfFairValueFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FairValueByMeasurementBasisAxis=us-gaap_CarryingReportedAmountFairValueDisclosureMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CapitalizedCostsOfUnprovedPropertiesExcludedFromAmortizationByPropertyOrProjectAxis=aumn_SanDiegoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: