Note 6 - Business Segments (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2015			2014			2015			2014
Net sales to unaffiliated customers:
Greens Creek	$	54,351		$	67,763		$	175,749		$	186,808
Lucky Friday		13,916			27,883			48,376			71,740
Casa Berardi		36,674			39,861			104,105			120,248
San Sebastian		—			—			—			—
	$	104,941		$	135,507		$	328,230		$	378,796
Income (loss) from operations:
Greens Creek	$	21		$	8,874		$	24,664		$	28,724
Lucky Friday		(3,894	)		9,007			(933	)		20,105
Casa Berardi		(2,603	)		395			(6,567	)		4,940
San Sebastian		(2,420	)		(1,614	)		(7,269	)		(3,511	)
Other		(12,301	)		(10,391	)		(43,460	)		(31,043	)
	$	(21,197	)	$	6,271		$	(33,565	)	$	19,215

		September 30, 2015		Deceember 31, 2014
Identifiable assets:
Greens Creek	$	702,244	$	704,121
Lucky Friday		389,700		356,482
Casa Berardi		776,442		800,961
San Sebastian		2,612		1,529
Other		414,215		398,971
	$	2,285,213	$	2,262,064