The number of common shares outstanding of the acquiree used to estimate consideration in a business acquisition.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	hl_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of outstanding options to purchase common shares of the acquiree used to estimate consideration in a business acquisition.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	hl_
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- Definition

In a business acquisition, the number of the company's shares of common stock exchanged for each share of the acquiree's common stock.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of shares issued during the period for payment of acquisition related costs.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	hl_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Number of acquiree's shares held by the acquirer immediately before the acquisition date in a business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	hl_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of acquiree's shares into which warrants held by the acquirer may be converted immediately before the acquisition date.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hl_BusinessCombinationStepAcquisitionEquityInterestInAcquireeWarrants
Namespace Prefix:	hl_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of ownership in properties.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hl_OwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	hl_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of shares of equity interests issued or issuable to acquire entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)(4)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:sharesItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Price of a single share of a number of saleable stocks paid or offered to be paid in a business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionSharePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 25
-Paragraph 23
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73531572&loc=d3e1043-128460

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6578-128477

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (b)
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-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 30
-Section 30
-Paragraph 8
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6613-128477

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of equity interests of the acquirer, including instruments or interests issued or issuable in consideration for the business combination.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferredEquityInterestsIssuedAndIssuable
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the amount of earnings or loss of the acquiree since the acquisition date included in the consolidated income statement for the reporting period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (h)(1)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65885119&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of property, plant, and equipment recognized as of the acquisition date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73530397&loc=d3e4845-128472

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 805
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 37
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=73531372&loc=d3e2207-128464

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of equity in the acquiree held by the acquirer immediately before the acquisition date in a business combination.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

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Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of business during the period. The cash portion only of the acquisition price.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Investing Activities
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6516133

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66902209&loc=d3e3213-108585

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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- Details

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Note 13 - Acquisitions (Details Textual) CAD / shares in Units, $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands, CAD in Millions			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 13, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Jun. 27, 2016 CAD CAD / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Mines Management [Member] \| Land [Member]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment	$ 800
Mines Management [Member] \| Plant and Equipment [Member]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment	100
Mines Management [Member] \| Mineral Interests [Member]
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment	67,600
Mines Management [Member] \| Acquisition Costs [Member]
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs			$ 1,000
Mines Management [Member]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred	52,134
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Gross	4,025
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred, Equity Interests Issued and Issuable	$ 48,109
Business Acquistion, Number of Common Stock Shares Exchanged for Each Share of Acquiree Common Stock \| shares	0.2218
Business Acquisition, Common Shares Outstanding of Acquiree \| shares	36,498,625
Business Acquisition, Outstanding Options to Purchase Common Shares of Acquiree \| shares	963,079
Business Acquisition, Equity Interest Issued or Issuable, Number of Shares \| shares	8,309,006		8,309,006
Business Acquisition, Share Price \| $ / shares	$ 5.79
Business Combination, Recognized Identifiable Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed, Property, Plant, and Equipment	$ 68,476
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs, Shares Issued \| shares			181,048
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs				$ 3,800		$ 4,200
Business Combination, Pro Forma Information, Earnings or Loss of Acquiree since Acquisition Date, Actual						$ 32
Dolly Varden [Member]
Business Combination, Consideration Transferred \| CAD		CAD 13.6
Business Acquisition, Share Price \| CAD / shares		CAD 0.69
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Shares \| shares		2,620,291
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Warrants \| shares		1,250,000
Business Combination, Step Acquisition, Equity Interest in Acquiree, Percentage		19.80%
Mines Management [Member] \| Montanore Project [Member]
Ownership Percentage			100.00%	100.00%		100.00%
Dolly Varden [Member] \| Dolly Varden Historic Silver Property [Member]
Ownership Percentage		100.00%
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs				$ 1,765	$ 15	$ 2,167	$ 2,162