Debt (Details Textual) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended																	6 Months Ended
	May 27, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014 oz	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014 oz	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014 Convertible Senior Notes Due March 2028 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Convertible Senior Notes Due March 2028 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Senior Notes due Two Thousand Twenty One [Member]	Mar. 12, 2014 Senior Notes due Two Thousand Twenty One [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes due Two Thousand Twenty One [Member]	Jan. 29, 2013 Senior Notes due Two Thousand Twenty One [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Banco Bisa Line of Credit [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Banco de Credito Line of Credit [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Palmarejo gold production royalty [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Palmarejo gold production royalty [Member] oz	Jun. 30, 2014 Palmarejo gold production royalty [Member] Maximum [Member] oz	Jun. 30, 2014 3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due March 2028 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due March 2028 [Member]	Feb. 12, 2013 3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due March 2028 [Member]	Jun. 30, 2014 Palmarejo [Member]
Debt and capital lease obligations (Textual) [Abstract]
Interest rate on notes							3.25%	3.25%	7.875%		7.875%	7.875%						3.25%
Debt Instrument, Face Amount							$ 0	$ 5,334,000	$ 450,000,000	$ 150,000,000		$ 300,000,000						$ 5,334,000
Debt		11,565,000		11,565,000		2,505,000													0	48,700,000
Debt Instrument, Repurchased Face Amount																		43,300,000
Interest Expense, Debt		0	72,000	0	268,000
Accretion of debt discount		(108,000)	0	(144,000)	576,000
Effective interest rate on the notes															30.50%
Borrowing under term facility		100,000,000		100,000,000									7,000,000	4,000,000
Line of credit facility, increase, additional borrowings		50,000,000
Write off revolver costs, interest expense		0		3,035,000	0
Line of credit facility, commitment fee amount		0	133,000	179,000	258,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End													2.75%	3.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding		0		0
Loss on termination of revolving credit facility		0	0	3,035,000	0
Royalty Guarantees, Commitments, Ounces of Gold																	400,000
Percentage of Actual Gold Production		50.00%
Base Average Gold Price in Excess of Minimum Contractual Deduction Rate		400		400
Payment of Royalty on Ounces of Gold		289,760		289,760
Further Payment Made on Number of Additional Ounces of Gold																110,240
Payments to Acquire Royalty Interests in Mining Properties	2,200,000	12,345,000	15,480,000	27,028,000	30,929,000
Expected Royalty Duration																					2.0
Additional Long term debt and capital lease obligations(Textual) [Abstract]
Implicit Interest Rate		30.00%
Accretion of Royalty Obligation		2,898,000	4,107,000	6,094,000	8,170,000
Remaining Minimum Obligation Under Royalty Agreements		42,000,000		42,000,000		51,200,000
Expensed Interest		12,310,000	10,930,000	25,365,000	20,662,000
Capitalized interest		(135,000)	32,000	(518,000)	(361,000)
Debt Instrument, Convertible, Carrying Amount of Equity Component							$ 10,900,000