Income Taxes (Effective Tax Rate Reconciliation) (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Differences between our effective tax rate for financial statement purposes and the Federal statutory rate
Statutory tax rate	35.00%	35.00%
Federal tax at statutory rate	$ 52,790	$ 54,240
Nontaxable municipal bond interest and dividend received deduction	(9,752)	(8,927)
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	717	834
Foreign income taxes	9,951	7,226
Foreign tax credits	(9,776)	(7,226)
Indefinitely reinvested earnings of foreign subsidiaries	(9,134)	0
Uncertain tax positions (net of federal tax benefit on state positions: $93 in 2015, $144 in 2014)	2,234hcc_UncertainTaxPositionsNet	320hcc_UncertainTaxPositionsNet
Other, net	881	594
Income tax expense	$ 37,911us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	$ 47,061us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Effective tax rate	25.10%	30.40%

No authoritative reference available.

No definition available.

Name:	hcc_IndefinitelyReinvestedEarningsOfForeignSubsidiaries
Namespace Prefix:	hcc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Tax positions taken in the Company's tax return filed or to be filed for which it is more likely than not that the tax position will not be sustained upon examination by taxing authorities net of federal tax benefit on state positions.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	hcc_UncertainTaxPositionsNet
Namespace Prefix:	hcc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 12

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 13

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)(2))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph h

-Subparagraph 2

-Article 4

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateContinuingOperations
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of domestic federal statutory tax rate applicable to pretax income (loss).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 12

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34349781&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 13

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32698-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationAtFederalStatutoryIncomeTaxRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationDeductionsAbstract
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of current income tax expense (benefit) and deferred income tax expense (benefit) pertaining to continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph h

-Article 4

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Income Tax Expense (or Benefit)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6515339

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 9

-Subparagraph (a),(b)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319

+ Details

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

- Definition

Amount of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to foreign income tax expense (benefit).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 12

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 13

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph h

-Subparagraph 1

-Article 4

+ Details

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

- Definition

The amount of income tax expense or benefit for the period computed by applying the domestic federal statutory tax rates to pretax income from continuing operations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 12

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 13

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph h

-Subparagraph 2

-Article 4

+ Details

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

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 12

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 13

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32698-109319

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 08

-Paragraph h

-Subparagraph 1

-Article 4

+ Details

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

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

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

- Definition

+ References

+ Details

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