Antimony Metal [Member] Long Term Purchase Commitment By Category Of Item Purchased [Axis] Antimony Oxide [Member] Antimony Ore [Member] Antimony [Member] Zeolite [Member] SanMiguelMember De Lage Landen Financial Services [Member] CreditFacility [Axis] Western States Equipment Co [Member] CNH Capital America LLC [Member] GE Capital [Member] Robert And Phyllis Rice [Member] De Lage Landen Financial Services 1 [Member] Catepillar Finance [Member] De Lage Landen Financial Services 2 [Member] Corral Blancoland [Member] Director [Member] Related Party Transactions By Related Party [Axis] Chief Executive Officer [Member] Warrant [Member] Statement Equity Components [Axis] Cash Less Warrant [Member] Deferred Compensation Arrangement With Individual Excluding Share Based Payments And Postretirement Benefits By Title Of Individual [Axis] Non Board Director [Member] Minimum [Member] Range [Axis] Maximum [Member] United States Antimony [Member] Statement Business Segments [Axis] Mexico Antimony [Member] Subtotal Antimony [Member] Precious Metals [Member] Common Class A [Member] Statement Class Of Stock [Axis] Common Class B [Member] ThermFisherFinancialServices [Member] CatepillarFinance1 [Member] CatepillarFinance2 [Member] CustomerA [Member] MajorCustomers [Axis] CustomerB [Member] CustomerC [Member] MajorCustomers [Member] Document And Entity Information Entity Registrant Name Entity Central Index Key Document Type Document Period End Date Amendment Flag Current Fiscal Year End Date Is Entity a Well-known Seasoned Issuer? Is Entity a Voluntary Filer? Is Entity's Reporting Status Current? Entity Filer Category Entity Public Float Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding Document Fiscal Period Focus Document Fiscal Year Focus Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents Certificates of deposit (Note 4) Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $4,031 and $7,600, respectively Inventories Other current assets Deferred tax asset Total current assets Properties, plants and equipment, net Restricted cash for reclamation bonds Other assets Total assets LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Checks issued and payable Deferred revenue Accounts payable Due to factor Accrued payroll, taxes and interest Other accrued liabilities Payables to related parties Long-term debt, current Total current liabilities Long-term debt, noncurrent Asset retirement and accrued reclamation costs Total liabilities Commitments and contingencies (Note 5) Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock $0.01 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized: Series A: no shares issued and outstanding Series B: 750,000 shares issued and outstanding (liquidation preference $877,500) Series C: 177,904 shares issued and outstanding (liquidation preference $97,847) Series D: 1,751,005 shares issued and outstanding (liquidation preference and cumulative dividends of $4,714,433) Common stock, $0.01 par vaue, 90,000,000 shares authorized; 61,786,822 and 59,349,300 shares issued and outstanding, respectively Additional paid-in capital Accumulated deficit Total stockholders' equity Total liabilities and stockholders' equity Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts Series A Preferred stock, par value Series A Preferred stock, authorized shares Series A Preferred stock, issued shares Series A Preferred stock, outstanding shares Series B Preferred stock, par value Series B Preferred stock, authorized shares Series B Preferred stock, issued shares Series B Preferred stock, outstanding shares Series B liquidation preference Series C Preferred stock, par value Series C Preferred stock, authorized shares Series C Preferred stock, issued shares Series C Preferred stock, outstanding shares Series C liquidation preference Series D Preferred stock, par value Series D Preferred stock, authorized shares Series D Preferred stock, issued shares Series D Preferred stock, outstanding shares Series D liquidation preference Series D cumulative dividends Common stock, par value Common stock, authorized shares Common stock, issued shares Common stock, outstanding shares Income Statement [Abstract] REVENUES COST OF REVENUES GROSS PROFIT OPERATING EXPENSES: General and administrative Professional fees TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES INCOME (LOSS) FROM OPERATIONS OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE): Interest income Interest expense Factoring expense TOTAL OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE) INCOME (LOSS) BEFORE INCOME TAXES INCOME TAX (EXPENSE) BENEFIT NET INCOME (LOSS) Net income (loss) per share of common stock: Basic Diluted Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic Weighted average shares outstanding: Diluted Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract] Cash Flows From Operating Activities: Net income (loss) Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities: Depreciation and amortization expense Accretion of asset retirement obligation Common stock issued to directors for services Deferred income tax expense (benefit) Change in: Accounts receivable, net Inventories Other current assets Other assets Accounts payable Accrued payroll, taxes and interest Other accrued liabilities Deferred revenue Payables to related parties Net cash provided (used) by operating activities Cash Flows From Investing Activities: Purchase of certificates of deposit Purchase of properties, plants and equipment Net cash used by investing activities Cash Flows From Financing Activities: Net proceeds from (payments to) factor Proceeds from sale of common stock, net of offering costs Issuance of common stock pursuant to exercise of warrants Principal payments of long-term debt Payments received on stock subscription agreements Change in checks issued and payable Net cash provided by financing activities NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period Cash and cash equivalents at end of period SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION Noncash investing and financing activities: Properties, plants & equipment acquired with long-term debt Properties, plants and equipment acquired with accounts payable Common stock issued for prepaid directors fees Common stock issued pursuant to cashless exercise of warrants Accounting Policies [Abstract] Basis of Presentation Earnings Per Share [Abstract] Income (Loss) Per Common Share Inventory Disclosure [Abstract] Inventories Notes to Financial Statements Accounts Receivable and Due to Factor Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] Commitments and Contingencies Debt Disclosure [Abstract] Long - Term Debt Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract] Concentrations of Risk Related Party Transactions [Abstract] Related Party Transactions Equity [Abstract] Stockholder's Equity Segment Reporting [Abstract] Business Segments Basis of Presentation Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share Inventories Accounts Receivable And Due To Factor Tables Account Receivables Long - Term Debt Debt Outstanding Concentration Of Risk Tables Major Customers Revenue Details Common Stock Warrants Warrants Maturity Segment Information Interest Expenses Warrants Convertible preferred stock Total possible dilution Outstanding Warrants Basic and diluted weighted shares outstanding Statement [Table] Statement [Line Items] Category of Item Purchased [Axis] Inventories Accounts Receivable And Due To Factor Details Accounts receivable - non factored Accounts receivable - factored with recourse Less allowance for doubtful accounts Accounts receivable - net Discount on payment to purchase options Payment for option purchase Capitalized mineral rights Accrued Liability Lines of credit facility collateral fee Pledged securities as collateral Interest rates on borrowing Credit Facility [Axis] Total debt Less current portion Noncurrent portion Long - Term Debt Details Usd 2013 2014 2015 2016 Long Term Debt Total Major Customers [Axis] Largest Cutomer Revenue % of Total Revenue Related Party [Axis] Related Party Transactions Equity Components [Axis] Beginning balance, shares Warrants granted, shares Warrants exercised, shares Warrants expired, shares Ending balance, shares 2014 2015 Thereafter Total Beginning balance, Exercise Prices Warrants granted, Exercise Prices Warrants exercised, Exercise Prices Warrants expired, Exercise Prices Ending balance Exercise Prices Deferred Bonus and Profit Sharing Plan by Title of Individual [Axis] Unregistered common stock sold Unregistered common stock value Common stock price per share Warrants issued Warrants issued price per share Expenses in issuance of unregistered common stock Common stock issued Common stock issued price per share Common stock value capital stock Common stock not issued Common stock not issued value Awarded unregistered common stock Remaining shares of unregistered common stock Business Segments [Axis] Properties, plants and equipment, net: Total Assets: Capital Expenditure Revenues: Gross profit: Depreciation and amortization: Assets, Current Liabilities, Current Liabilities Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent Liabilities and Equity Cost of Goods and Services Sold Gross Profit Operating Expenses FactoringExpense Nonoperating Income (Expense) Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Equity Method Investments, Income Taxes, Extraordinary Items, Noncontrolling Interest Income Tax Expense (Benefit) Increase (Decrease) in Inventories Increase (Decrease) in Other Current Assets Increase (Decrease) in Other Operating Assets Increase (Decrease) in Accounts Payable Increase (Decrease) in Employee Related Liabilities Increase (Decrease) in Other Accrued Liabilities Increase (Decrease) in Deferred Revenue Increase (Decrease) in Due to Related Parties, Current Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities Payments for Deposits Payments to Acquire Property, Plant, and Equipment Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Investing Activities Repayments of Long-term Debt Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities Inventory Disclosure [Text Block] Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block] Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block] Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments [Table Text Block] Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Call Options and Warrants Inventory, Gross Related Party Transaction, Amounts of Transaction Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Number ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsForfeituresAndExpirationsIn2014 ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardOptionsForfeituresAndExpirationsIn2015 Custom Element. 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