Segment Reporting (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Total Revenue	$ 635,742		$ 745,994		$ 895,492
Costs applicable to sales	477,945	[1]	463,663	[1]	454,562	[1]
Amortization	162,436		229,564		216,032
Exploration	21,740		22,360		26,270
Write-downs	1,472,721		772,993		5,825
Litigation settlement	0		32,046		0
Other operating expenses
Interest income and other, net	1,375		13,323		15,041
Interest expense, net	(47,546)		(41,303)		(26,169)
Loss on termination of revolving credit facility	0		0		(1,036)
Fair value adjustments, net	3,618		82,768		(23,487)
Income and mining tax (expense) benefit	459,244		158,116		(70,807)
Net income (loss)	(1,155,884)		(650,563)		48,677
Assets, Net	1,084,257				2,974,056
Capital expenditures	64,244		100,813		115,641
Palmarejo [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Costs applicable to sales	187,276		188,572		197,478
Amortization	69,431		133,535		145,945
Exploration	6,671		7,161		7,575
Write-downs	784,038		642,094		0
Other operating expenses	620		705		661
Interest income and other, net	131		906		4,017
Interest expense, net	(9,320)		(15,123)		(18,938)
Loss on termination of revolving credit facility					0
Fair value adjustments, net	(1,847)		76,218		(31,054)
Income and mining tax (expense) benefit	283,685		107,748		(18,066)
Net income (loss)	(531,384)		(478,278)		26,398
Assets, Net	341,367	[2]	1,164,852		1,905,269
Capital expenditures	26,084	[3]	33,730	[3]	38,456	[3]
San Bartolome [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales					178,005
Royalties					0
Costs applicable to sales	89,659		86,827		71,428
Amortization	19,423		19,103		16,624
Exploration	120		111		159
Write-downs	118,754		0		0
Other operating expenses	(251)		6,205		165
Interest income and other, net	2,461		2,582		9,719
Interest expense, net	(52)		(74)		(72)
Loss on termination of revolving credit facility					0
Fair value adjustments, net	0		0		0
Income and mining tax (expense) benefit	18,114		(10,938)		(44,632)
Net income (loss)	(89,433)		21,045		54,644
Assets, Net	188,616	[2]	289,272		302,922
Capital expenditures	7,937	[3]	11,568	[3]	25,672	[3]
Kensington [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales	136,960		148,769		110,987
Royalties	0		0		0
Total Revenue	136,960		148,769		110,987
Costs applicable to sales	105,342		104,575		87,089
Amortization	43,619		62,750		41,241
Exploration	8,005		4,199		3,283
Write-downs	107,832		130,694		0
Other operating expenses	796		735		478
Interest income and other, net	(22)		(187)		(77)
Interest expense, net	(214)		(424)		(2,972)
Loss on termination of revolving credit facility					(1,036)
Fair value adjustments, net	0		7,480		4,089
Income and mining tax (expense) benefit	0		(1)		0
Net income (loss)	(128,870)		(147,316)		(21,100)
Assets, Net	215,973	[2]	343,144	[2]	508,658
Capital expenditures	16,220	[3]	21,404	[3]	36,994	[3]
Rochester [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales	123,768		119,254		132,392
Royalties	0		0		0
Total Revenue	123,768		119,254		132,392
Costs applicable to sales	91,462		77,869		72,061
Amortization	20,790		8,890		6,784
Exploration	2,636		2,653		3,591
Write-downs	0		0		0
Other operating expenses	2,813		36,265		2,682
Interest income and other, net	105		(318)		358
Interest expense, net	(679)		(20)		(26)
Loss on termination of revolving credit facility					0
Fair value adjustments, net	3,653		416		0
Income and mining tax (expense) benefit	(2,224)		(2,332)		(2,195)
Net income (loss)	6,922		(8,677)		45,411
Assets, Net	196,765	[2]	176,789		104,373
Capital expenditures	11,898	[3]	29,406	[3]	11,794	[3]
La Preciosa [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales	0		0
Royalties	0		0
Total Revenue	0		0
Costs applicable to sales	0		0
Amortization	84		24
Exploration	236		80
Write-downs	372,466		0
Other operating expenses	13,961		3,237
Interest income and other, net	(523)		15
Interest expense, net	0		0
Fair value adjustments, net	0		0
Income and mining tax (expense) benefit	132,151		(20,856)
Net income (loss)	(255,119)		(24,182)
Assets, Net	39,701	[2]	410,335	[2]
Capital expenditures	255	[3]	1,122	[3]
Coeur Capital [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales	10,046		12,871		18,848
Royalties	3,216		0		0
Total Revenue	13,262		12,871		18,848
Costs applicable to sales	4,206		5,820		8,824
Amortization	7,015		3,755		4,632
Exploration	515		2,069		1,056
Write-downs	6,202		0		0
Other operating expenses	938		1,397		(736)
Interest income and other, net	(7,141)		(19,474)		(77)
Interest expense, net	(1)		0		0
Loss on termination of revolving credit facility					0
Fair value adjustments, net	0		0		0
Income and mining tax (expense) benefit	1,212		2,179		(327)
Net income (loss)	(11,544)		(17,465)		4,668
Assets, Net	59,848	[2]	62,678		32,656
Capital expenditures	0		0		0
Other Mining Properties [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales	0		(661)		13,162
Royalties	0		0		0
Total Revenue	0		(661)		13,162
Costs applicable to sales	0		0		17,682
Amortization	2,074		1,507		806
Exploration	3,557		6,087		10,606
Write-downs	83,429				5,825
Litigation settlement			205
Other operating expenses	48,005		54,029		33,813
Interest income and other, net	(229)		11,491		496
Interest expense, net	(37,280)		(25,662)		(4,161)
Loss on termination of revolving credit facility					0
Fair value adjustments, net	1,812		(1,346)		3,478
Income and mining tax (expense) benefit	26,306		82,316		(5,587)
Net income (loss)	(146,456)		4,310		(61,344)
Assets, Net	41,987		111,749		120,178
Capital expenditures	1,850		3,583		2,725
Total [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales	632,526		745,994		895,492
Royalties	3,216		0		0
Total Revenue			745,994		895,492
Costs applicable to sales			463,663		454,562
Amortization			229,564		216,032
Exploration			22,360		26,270
Write-downs	1,472,721				5,825
Other operating expenses	66,882		102,573		37,063
Interest income and other, net	(5,218)		(4,985)		14,436
Interest expense, net					26,169
Fair value adjustments, net					(23,487)
Net income (loss)			(650,563)
Capital expenditures	64,244		100,813		115,641
Bolivia [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales	117,749
Royalties	0
Total Revenue	117,749		141,721		178,005
Bolivia [Member] | San Bartolome [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales			141,721
Royalties			0
Total Revenue			141,721
Mexico [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Total Revenue	245,493		324,040		442,098
Mexico [Member] | Palmarejo [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales	244,003		324,040		442,098
Royalties	0		0		0
Total Revenue	$ 244,003		$ 324,040		$ 442,098

[1] Excludes amortization.

[2] Excludes amortization

[3] Segment assets include receivables, prepaids, inventories, property, plant, and equipment, and mineral interests