Segment Reporting (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Revenue		$ 646,086	$ 635,742	$ 745,994
Costs applicable to sales	[1]	479,654	477,945	463,663
Amortization		143,751	162,436	229,564
Exploration		11,647	21,740	22,360
Write-downs		313,337	1,472,721	772,993
Fair value adjustments, net		5,202	3,618	82,768
Interest expense, net		(45,703)	(47,546)	(41,303)
Other, net		(15)	(5,218)	(4,985)
Income and mining tax benefit (expense)		26,263	428,254	158,116
Net income (loss)		(367,183)	(1,186,874)	(650,563)
Assets, Net		1,103,310	1,075,259
Capital expenditures		95,193	64,244	100,813
Palmarejo [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales		169,133	244,003	324,040
Royalties		0	0	0
Revenue		169,133	244,003	324,040
Costs applicable to sales		138,476	187,276	188,572
Amortization		32,423	69,431	133,535
Exploration		4,533	6,671	7,161
Write-downs		224,507	784,038	642,094
Other operating expenses		1,293	620	705
Fair value adjustments, net		3,160	(1,847)	76,218
Interest expense, net		(4,269)	(9,320)	(15,123)
Other, net		(10,968)	131	906
Income and mining tax benefit (expense)		(37,597)	251,840	107,748
Net income (loss)		(206,579)	(563,229)	(478,278)
Assets, Net		406,648	332,369	1,164,852
Capital expenditures		35,991	26,084	33,730
Rochester [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales		143,930	123,768	119,254
Royalties		0	0	0
Revenue		143,930	123,768	119,254
Costs applicable to sales		103,994	91,462	77,869
Amortization		23,906	20,790	8,890
Exploration		1,324	2,636	2,653
Write-downs		0	0	0
Other operating expenses		2,948	2,813	36,265
Fair value adjustments, net		818	3,653	416
Interest expense, net		(748)	(679)	(20)
Other, net		(14)	105	(318)
Income and mining tax benefit (expense)		1,497	(2,224)	(2,332)
Net income (loss)		10,318	6,922	(8,677)
Assets, Net		190,714	196,765	176,789
Capital expenditures		25,330	11,898	29,406
Kensington [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales		148,710	136,960	148,769
Royalties		0	0	0
Revenue		148,710	136,960	148,769
Costs applicable to sales		105,640	105,342	104,575
Amortization		42,240	43,619	62,750
Exploration		2,596	8,005	4,199
Write-downs		0	107,832	130,694
Other operating expenses		1,301	796	735
Fair value adjustments, net		0	0	7,480
Interest expense, net		(218)	(214)	(424)
Other, net		7	(22)	(187)
Income and mining tax benefit (expense)		0	0	(1)
Net income (loss)		(3,278)	(128,870)	(147,316)
Assets, Net		197,873	215,973	343,144
Capital expenditures		23,834	16,220	21,404
Wharf [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales		84,052
Royalties		0
Revenue		84,052
Costs applicable to sales		52,197
Amortization		16,378
Exploration		134
Write-downs		0
Other operating expenses		1,717
Fair value adjustments, net		0
Interest expense, net		0
Other, net		143
Income and mining tax benefit (expense)		857
Net income (loss)		12,912
Assets, Net		113,305
Capital expenditures		3,211
San Bartolome [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales		84,679	117,749	141,721
Royalties		0	0	0
Revenue		84,679	117,749	141,721
Costs applicable to sales		75,827	89,659	86,827
Amortization		17,798	19,423	19,103
Exploration		126	120	111
Write-downs		66,712	118,754	0
Other operating expenses		1,787	(251)	6,205
Fair value adjustments, net		0	0	0
Interest expense, net		(725)	(52)	(74)
Other, net		1,558	2,461	2,582
Income and mining tax benefit (expense)		5,154	18,114	(10,938)
Net income (loss)		(81,893)	(89,433)	21,045
Assets, Net		91,141	188,616	289,272
Capital expenditures		6,220	7,937	11,568
Coeur Capital [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales		8,732	10,046	12,871
Royalties		6,850	3,216	0
Revenue		15,582	13,262	12,871
Costs applicable to sales		3,520	4,206	5,820
Amortization		9,010	7,015	3,755
Exploration		(124)	515	2,069
Write-downs		22,118	6,202	0
Other operating expenses		33	938	1,397
Fair value adjustments, net		0	0	0
Interest expense, net		0	(1)	0
Other, net		(3,182)	(7,141)	(19,474)
Income and mining tax benefit (expense)		(5,542)	2,067	2,179
Net income (loss)		(16,615)	(10,689)	(17,465)
Assets, Net		27,892	59,848	62,678
Capital expenditures		0	0	0
Other Mining Properties [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales		0	0	(661)
Royalties		0	0	0
Revenue		0	0	(661)
Costs applicable to sales		0	0	0
Amortization		1,996	2,158	1,531
Exploration		3,058	3,793	6,167
Write-downs		0	455,895	205
Other operating expenses		41,548	61,966	57,266
Fair value adjustments, net		1,224	1,812	(1,346)
Interest expense, net		(39,743)	(37,280)	(25,662)
Other, net		12,441	(752)	11,506
Income and mining tax benefit (expense)		(9,368)	158,457	61,460
Net income (loss)		(82,048)	(401,575)	(19,872)
Assets, Net		75,737	81,688	522,084
Capital expenditures		607	2,105	4,705
Total [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Metal sales		639,236	632,526	745,994
Royalties		6,850	3,216	0
Revenue		646,086	635,742	745,994
Costs applicable to sales		479,654	477,945
Amortization		143,751	162,436
Write-downs		313,337
Other operating expenses		363,964	66,882	102,573
Other, net		(15)	(5,218)	(4,985)
Net income (loss)			(1,186,874)	(650,563)
Assets, Net			1,075,259	2,558,819
Capital expenditures		95,193	64,244	100,813
United States [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Revenue		376,692	260,728	268,023
Mexico [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Revenue		171,911	245,493	324,040
BOLIVIA
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Revenue		84,679	117,749	141,721
Australia [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Revenue		8,732	10,046	12,871
Other Foreign Countries [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Revenue		4,072	1,726	(661)
Accumulated Deficit [Member]
Financial information relating to reporting segments
Net income (loss)		$ (367,183)	$ (1,186,874)	$ (650,563)

[1] Excludes amortization.