Debt (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended						0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended					12 Months Ended															12 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013 oz	Dec. 31, 2013 oz	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jan. 21, 2009	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013 Debt Instrument, Redemption Period, End of 2015 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Debt Instrument, Redemption Period, After 2016 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due March 2028 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due March 2028 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due March 2028 [Member]	Feb. 12, 2013 3.25% Convertible Senior Notes due March 2028 [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Senior Notes due Two Thousand Twenty One [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Senior Notes due Two Thousand Twenty One [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior Notes due Two Thousand Twenty One [Member]	Jan. 29, 2013 Senior Notes due Two Thousand Twenty One [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Banco Bisa Line of Credit [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Banco de Credito Line of Credit [Member]	Aug. 16, 2012 Kensington Term Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Kensington Term Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Kensington Term Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Kensington Term Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Kensington Term Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Kensington Term Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Kensington Term Facility [Member] Call Option [Member] oz	Dec. 31, 2013 Kensington Term Facility [Member] Put Option [Member] oz	Dec. 31, 2013 Palmarejo gold production royalty [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Rate	Mar. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Debt Instrument Redemption Period, Quarter ended September 30, 2014 [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Debt Instrument, Redemption Period, End of 2015 [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Minimum [Member] Debt Instrument, Redemption Period, After 2016 [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Debt Instrument Redemption Period, Quarter ended September 30, 2014 [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Debt Instrument, Redemption Period, End of 2015 [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 Maximum [Member] Debt Instrument, Redemption Period, After 2016 [Member] Rate	Dec. 31, 2013 LIBOR [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 LIBOR [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Alternate Base Rate [Member] Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Alternate Base Rate [Member] Maximum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Palmarejo gold production royalty [Member] oz	Dec. 31, 2012 Palmarejo gold production royalty [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Palmarejo gold production royalty [Member] Maximum [Member] oz
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Ore on leach pads	$ 50,495,000	$ 50,495,000	$ 22,991,000
Debt and capital lease obligations (Textual) [Abstract]
Future lease payments, 2014	8,200,000	8,200,000
Future lease payments, 2015	5,100,000	5,100,000
Future lease payments, 2016	1,600,000	1,600,000
Future lease payments, 2017	800,000	800,000
Future lease payments, 2018	800,000	800,000
Future lease payments, Thereafter	3,300,000	3,300,000
Interest rate on notes										3.25%	3.25%			7.875%			7.875%
Principal amount of bank loan										5,300,000							300,000,000
Debt and capital leases	2,505,000	2,505,000	55,983,000							0	48,081,000		48,700,000	0	0
Debt Instrument, Repurchased Face Amount										43,300,000
Carrying value of the equity component										10,900,000
Interest Expense, Debt										466,000	1,581,000	1,581,000		21,853,000	0	0						0	2,339,000		4,383,000
Accretion of debt discount		576,000	2,536,000	2,324,000
Effective interest rate on the notes																												30.00%
Borrowing under term facility	100,000,000	100,000,000																7.0	4.0
Line of credit facility, increase, additional borrowings		50,000,000
Line of credit facility, commitment fee amount	612,000		213,000	0
Description of variable rate basis																																										0.0225
Basis spread on variable rate																																											4.00%	1.25%	3.00%
Ratio of consolidated debt to adjusted EBITDA																													1.00					1.00		3.25				4.75
Ratio of adjusted EBITDA to interest expense																													1.00		1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	1.00	3.00	2.75	1.50	2.00	2.75	3.00
Line of Credit Facility, Limit on Losses		50,000,000
Minimum tangible net worth required for credit facility	900,000,000	900,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Minimum Adjusted EBITDA		100,000,000				50,000,000	75,000,000	100,000,000	110,000,000
Ratio of Secured Indebtedness to EBITDA																													1.00							1.25
Minimum Cash Balance Tested Quarterly		50,000,000
Ratio of Consolidated Debt to Adjusted EBITDA																													1.00							3.00
Percentage of tangible net worth																														85.00%
Percentage of net income	25.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End																		2.75%	2.50%
Line of Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	0	0
Repayments of Long-term Debt																				68,600,000
Loss on debt extinguishments		0	1,036,000	5,526,000																(1,000,000)
Gold under collars protection																										243,750	122,000
Weighted average call feature of each collar																					1,968	1,968	97,000				17.00
Weighted average put feature of each collar																							968	968			1,150
Royalty Expense																																														57,000,000	74,700,000
Sale Portion Life of Mine					50.00%
Royalty Guarantees, Commitments, Ounces of Gold																																																400,000
Royalty agreement minimum obligation for the period	400,000
Royalty Agreement Minimum Obligation for Per Month	4,167
Royalty Agreement Period					8 years
Percentage of Actual Gold Production		50.00%
Payment of Royalty on Ounces of Gold	259,069	259,069
Further Payment Made on Number of Additional Ounces of Gold																																														140,931
Payments to Acquire Royalty Interests in Mining Properties		57,034,000	74,734,000	73,191,000
Additional Long term debt and capital lease obligations(Textual) [Abstract]
Implicit Interest Rate		30.00%
Accretion of Royalty Obligation		17,641,000	19,139,000	22,230,000
Remaining Minimum Obligation Under Royalty Agreements	51,200,000	51,200,000	61,900,000
Expensed Interest		41,303,000	26,169,000	34,774,000
Capitalized interest		$ (2,694,000)	$ (2,663,000)	$ (2,175,000)