Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]	THE BRINK'S COMPANY and subsidiaries Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited) Note 1 – Basis of presentation The Brink's Company (along with its subsidiaries, “Brink's” or “we”) has four geographic operating segments: Latin America Europe, Middle East, and Africa (“EMEA”) North America (U.S. and Canada) Asia Pacific Our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and applicable quarterly reporting regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, the unaudited consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. We have made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates. The most significant estimates are related to goodwill and other long-lived assets, pension and other retirement benefit obligations, legal contingencies, foreign currency translation and deferred tax assets. The consolidated financial statements include all of the assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and cash flows of Brink's and all entities in which Brink's has a controlling voting interest. Intercompany accounts and transactions between consolidated companies have been eliminated in consolidation. Foreign Currency Translation Our consolidated financial statements are reported in U.S. dollars. Our foreign subsidiaries maintain their records primarily in the currency of the country in which they operate. The method of translating local currency financial information into U.S. dollars depends on whether the economy in which our foreign subsidiary operates has been designated as highly inflationary or not. Economies with a three-year cumulative inflation rate of more than 100% are considered highly inflationary. Assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries in non-highly inflationary economies are translated into U.S. dollars using rates of exchange at the balance sheet date. Translation adjustments are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss). Revenues and expenses are translated at rates of exchange in effect during the year. Transaction gains and losses are recorded in net income. Foreign subsidiaries that operate in highly inflationary countries use the U.S. dollar as their functional currency. Local-currency monetary assets and liabilities are remeasured into U.S. dollars using rates of exchange as of each balance sheet date, with remeasurement adjustments and other transaction gains and losses recognized in earnings. Non-monetary assets and liabilities do not fluctuate with changes in local currency exchange rates to the dollar. Venezuela The economy in Venezuela has had significant inflation in the last several years. We consolidate our Venezuelan results using our accounting policy for subsidiaries operating in highly inflationary economies. Since 2003, the Venezuelan government has controlled the exchange of local currency into other currencies, including the U.S. dollar. The Venezuelan government requires that currency exchanges be made at official rates or through auctions controlled by the government. Different exchange processes exist for different industries and purposes. The government does not approve all requests to convert bolivars to other currencies. The government devalued the official rate for essential services in February 2013 from 5.3 to 6.3 bolivars to the dollar. Late in 2013, the government added another official exchange process, known as SICAD, for travel and certain other purposes, made available at government discretion. The published rate for this process in the first quarter of 2014 ranged from 10.7 to 11.8 bolivars to the U.S. dollar. Since the end of the first quarter of 2013, we have been unable to obtain dollars using either of these processes and we do not expect to be able to obtain dollars using these processes in the foreseeable future. On March 24, 2014, the government initiated another exchange mechanism known as SICAD II. Conversions under this mechanism are also subject to specific eligibility requirements. Transactions have been reported to be in a range of 50 to 52 bolivars to the dollar. We exchanged 15.6 million bolivars for $300,000 (exchange rate of 52) through the SICAD II mechanism in March 2014. We do not know whether we will be able to access dollars under this new process on a consistent basis in the future. As a result of the restrictions on currency exchange, we have in the past been unable to obtain sufficient U.S. dollars to purchase certain imported supplies and fixed assets to fully operate our business in Venezuela. As a result, we have occasionally purchased more expensive, bolivar-denominated supplies and fixed assets. We currently believe that we will be able to access dollars for our needs under the current SICAD II process, although there is a risk that this process will be discontinued or not accessible when needed in the future, which may prevent us from obtaining dollars to operate our Venezuelan operations. Remeasurement rates during 2013. Through January 31, 2013, we used an official rate of 5.3 bolivars to the dollar to remeasure our bolivar-denominated monetary assets and liabilities into U.S. dollars and to translate our revenue and expenses. After the devaluation in February 2013, we began to use the 6.3 official exchange rate to remeasure bolivar denominated monetary assets and liabilities and to translate our revenue and expenses. We recognized a $13.4 million net remeasurement loss in the first quarter of 2013 when we changed from the 5.3 to 6.3 exchange rate. The after-tax effect of these losses attributable to noncontrolling interests were $4.7 million in the first quarter of 2013. Remeasurement rates during 2014. Through March 23, 2014, we used the official rate of 6.3 bolivars to the dollar to remeasure our bolivar denominated monetary assets and liabilities into U.S. dollars and to translate our revenue and expenses. Effective March 24, 2014, we began to use the exchange rate published for the SICAD II process to remeasure bolivar denominated monetary assets and liabilities and to translate our revenue and expenses. We recognized a $121.9 million net remeasurement loss in the first quarter of 2014 when we changed from the official rate of 6.3 to SICAD II exchange rate, which averaged 51 in the 7 days ending March 31, 2014, and was 50 at March 31, 2014. The after-tax effect of these losses attributable to noncontrolling interests were $39.7 million in the first quarter of 2014. Brink's Venezuela accounted for $131.3 million or 13% of total Brink's revenues and represented a significant component of total segment operating profit in the three months ended March 31, 2014. Because we began remeasuring our Venezuelan results effective March 24, 2014, using the SICAD II rate: We do not expect Brink's Venezuela to be a significant component of Brink's consolidated revenue or operating profit in the last nine months of 2014. Our investment in our Venezuelan operations on an equity-method basis declined from $125.3 million at December 31, 2013, to $66.6 million at March 31, 2014. Our bolivar-denominated net monetary assets declined from $120.4 million (including $93.8 million of cash and cash equivalents) at December 31, 2013, to $23.5 million (including $13.8 million of cash and cash equivalents) at March 31, 2014.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2014

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

THE BRINK'S COMPANY

and subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

Note 1 – Basis of presentation

The Brink's Company (along with its subsidiaries, “Brink's” or “we”) has four geographic operating segments:

Latin America
Europe, Middle East, and Africa (“EMEA”)
North America (U.S. and Canada)
Asia Pacific

Our unaudited interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and applicable quarterly reporting regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Accordingly, the unaudited consolidated financial statements do not include all of the information and notes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. These unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.

We have made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities to prepare these consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates. The most significant estimates are related to goodwill and other long-lived assets, pension and other retirement benefit obligations, legal contingencies, foreign currency translation and deferred tax assets.

The consolidated financial statements include all of the assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses and cash flows of Brink's and all entities in which Brink's has a controlling voting interest. Intercompany accounts and transactions between consolidated companies have been eliminated in consolidation.

Foreign Currency Translation

Our consolidated financial statements are reported in U.S. dollars. Our foreign subsidiaries maintain their records primarily in the currency of the country in which they operate.

The method of translating local currency financial information into U.S. dollars depends on whether the economy in which our foreign subsidiary operates has been designated as highly inflationary or not. Economies with a three-year cumulative inflation rate of more than 100% are considered highly inflationary.

Assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries in non-highly inflationary economies are translated into U.S. dollars using rates of exchange at the balance sheet date. Translation adjustments are recorded in other comprehensive income (loss). Revenues and expenses are translated at rates of exchange in effect during the year. Transaction gains and losses are recorded in net income.

Foreign subsidiaries that operate in highly inflationary countries use the U.S. dollar as their functional currency. Local-currency monetary assets and liabilities are remeasured into U.S. dollars using rates of exchange as of each balance sheet date, with remeasurement adjustments and other transaction gains and losses recognized in earnings. Non-monetary assets and liabilities do not fluctuate with changes in local currency exchange rates to the dollar.

Venezuela

The economy in Venezuela has had significant inflation in the last several years. We consolidate our Venezuelan results using our accounting policy for subsidiaries operating in highly inflationary economies.

Since 2003, the Venezuelan government has controlled the exchange of local currency into other currencies, including the U.S. dollar. The Venezuelan government requires that currency exchanges be made at official rates or through auctions controlled by the government. Different exchange processes exist for different industries and purposes. The government does not approve all requests to convert bolivars to other currencies.

The government devalued the official rate for essential services in February 2013 from 5.3 to 6.3 bolivars to the dollar. Late in 2013, the government added another official exchange process, known as SICAD, for travel and certain other purposes, made available at government discretion. The published rate for this process in the first quarter of 2014 ranged from 10.7 to 11.8 bolivars to the U.S. dollar. Since the end of the first quarter of 2013, we have been unable to obtain dollars using either of these processes and we do not expect to be able to obtain dollars using these processes in the foreseeable future.

On March 24, 2014, the government initiated another exchange mechanism known as SICAD II. Conversions under this mechanism are also subject to specific eligibility requirements. Transactions have been reported to be in a range of 50 to 52 bolivars to the dollar. We exchanged 15.6 million bolivars for $300,000 (exchange rate of 52) through the SICAD II mechanism in March 2014. We do not know whether we will be able to access dollars under this new process on a consistent basis in the future.

As a result of the restrictions on currency exchange, we have in the past been unable to obtain sufficient U.S. dollars to purchase certain imported supplies and fixed assets to fully operate our business in Venezuela. As a result, we have occasionally purchased more expensive, bolivar-denominated supplies and fixed assets. We currently believe that we will be able to access dollars for our needs under the current SICAD II process, although there is a risk that this process will be discontinued or not accessible when needed in the future, which may prevent us from obtaining dollars to operate our Venezuelan operations.

Remeasurement rates during 2013. Through January 31, 2013, we used an official rate of 5.3 bolivars to the dollar to remeasure our bolivar-denominated monetary assets and liabilities into U.S. dollars and to translate our revenue and expenses. After the devaluation in February 2013, we began to use the 6.3 official exchange rate to remeasure bolivar denominated monetary assets and liabilities and to translate our revenue and expenses. We recognized a $13.4 million net remeasurement loss in the first quarter of 2013 when we changed from the 5.3 to 6.3 exchange rate. The after-tax effect of these losses attributable to noncontrolling interests were $4.7 million in the first quarter of 2013.

Remeasurement rates during 2014. Through March 23, 2014, we used the official rate of 6.3 bolivars to the dollar to remeasure our bolivar denominated monetary assets and liabilities into U.S. dollars and to translate our revenue and expenses. Effective March 24, 2014, we began to use the exchange rate published for the SICAD II process to remeasure bolivar denominated monetary assets and liabilities and to translate our revenue and expenses. We recognized a $121.9 million net remeasurement loss in the first quarter of 2014 when we changed from the official rate of 6.3 to SICAD II exchange rate, which averaged 51 in the 7 days ending March 31, 2014, and was 50 at March 31, 2014. The after-tax effect of these losses attributable to noncontrolling interests were $39.7 million in the first quarter of 2014.

Brink's Venezuela accounted for $131.3 million or 13% of total Brink's revenues and represented a significant component of total segment operating profit in the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Because we began remeasuring our Venezuelan results effective March 24, 2014, using the SICAD II rate:

We do not expect Brink's Venezuela to be a significant component of Brink's consolidated revenue or operating profit in the last nine months of 2014.
Our investment in our Venezuelan operations on an equity-method basis declined from $125.3 million at December 31, 2013, to $66.6 million at March 31, 2014.
Our bolivar-denominated net monetary assets declined from $120.4 million (including $93.8 million of cash and cash equivalents) at December 31, 2013, to $23.5 million (including $13.8 million of cash and cash equivalents) at March 31, 2014.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity.

+ References+ Details