Note 3 - Trust Expenses (Details Textual)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)
Maximum [Member]
Legal Fees Per Year	$ 100,000
Sponsors Fee Annualized Accrual Rate Based on Daily Net Asset Value	0.25%

Annualized sponsor's fee rate accrued daily based on the net asset value of the trust.

No definition available.

Name:	iau_SponsorsFeeAnnualizedAccrualRateBasedOnDailyNetAssetValue
Namespace Prefix:	iau_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration