Note 4 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details Textual) - USD ($)		1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	27 Months Ended
	Apr. 12, 2013	Aug. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Contractual Obligations						$ 1,200,000
Commitments For Capital Lease Payments						13,800,000
Surety Bonds						116,900,000
Lucky Friday [Member]
Open Purchase Orders						100,000
Casa Berardi [Member]
Open Purchase Orders						1,400,000
Greens Creek [Member]
Open Purchase Orders						11,000,000
Senior Notes [Member]
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt	$ 500,000,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	6.875%
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net							$ 6,500,000
Johnny M Mine Area near San Mateo, New Mexico [Member]
Liability for Remediation					$ 5,600,000
Payment Of Response Costs		$ 1,100,000						$ 1,100,000
Estimated Response Costs				$ 5,600,000
Johnny M Mine Area near San Mateo, New Mexico [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Estimated Alternative Response Costs						0
Johnny M Mine Area near San Mateo, New Mexico [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Estimated Alternative Response Costs						$ 221,000,000
Carpenter Snow Creek Superfund Site, Cascade County, Montana [Member]
Estimated Response Costs			$ 4,500,000
Estimated Future Response Cost			$ 100,000,000
Joint Venture [Member] | Rio Grande Silver Inc and Emerald Mining and Leasing LLC [Member]
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage						70.00%
Maximum Environmental Remediation Obligation						$ 2,500,000