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Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) (USD $) | 0 Months Ended | 4 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 1 Months Ended |
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Feb. 04, 2015 | Dec. 11, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Apr. 12, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Aug. 31, 2012 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Jun. 30, 2011 | Jul. 30, 2010 | Apr. 30, 2009
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maximum Environmental Remediation Obligation |  |  |  | $ 2,500,000 hl_MaximumEnvironmentalRemediationObligation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Estimate of Possible Loss |  | 1,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 177,500 us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
Litigation Settlement, Amount | (13,000)us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Damages Sought, Value |  |  | 5,000,000 us-gaap_LossContingencyDamagesSoughtValue |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contractual Obligations |  |  |  | 3,200,000 hl_ContractualObligations |  |  | 3,200,000 hl_ContractualObligations |  |  |  |  |
Commitments For Capital Lease Payments |  |  |  | 23,800,000 hl_CommitmentsForCapitalLeasePayments |  |  | 23,800,000 hl_CommitmentsForCapitalLeasePayments |  |  |  |  |
Surety Bonds |  |  |  | 68,900,000 hl_SuretyBonds | 30,000,000 hl_SuretyBonds |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Letters of Credit Outstanding, Amount |  |  |  | 8,400,000 us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount |  |  | 8,400,000 us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount |  |  |  |  |
Loss Contingency, Number of Plaintiffs |  | 4 us-gaap_LossContingencyNumberOfPlaintiffs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Rio Grande Silver Inc And Emerald Mining And Leasing LLC [Member] | Joint Venture [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage |  |  |  | 70.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionAxis = hl_JointVentureMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = hl_RioGrandeSilverIncAndEmeraldMiningAndLeasingLLCMember |  |  | 70.00%us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentOwnershipPercentage / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionAxis = hl_JointVentureMember / us-gaap_RelatedPartyTransactionsByRelatedPartyAxis = hl_RioGrandeSilverIncAndEmeraldMiningAndLeasingLLCMember |  |  |  |  |
Greens Creek [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Open Purchase Orders |  |  |  | 1,400,000 hl_OpenPurchaseOrders / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = hl_GreensCreekMember |  |  | 1,400,000 hl_OpenPurchaseOrders / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = hl_GreensCreekMember |  |  |  |  |
Noncapital Costs |  |  |  | 800,000 hl_NoncapitalCosts / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = hl_GreensCreekMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Lucky Friday [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Open Purchase Orders |  |  |  | 2,400,000 hl_OpenPurchaseOrders / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = hl_LuckyFridayMember |  |  | 2,400,000 hl_OpenPurchaseOrders / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = hl_LuckyFridayMember |  |  |  |  |
Noncapital Costs |  |  |  | 1,100,000 hl_NoncapitalCosts / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = hl_LuckyFridayMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Casa Berardi [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Open Purchase Orders |  |  |  | 700,000 hl_OpenPurchaseOrders / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = hl_CasaBerardiMember |  |  | 700,000 hl_OpenPurchaseOrders / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = hl_CasaBerardiMember |  |  |  |  |
Noncapital Costs |  |  |  | 400,000 hl_NoncapitalCosts / us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis = hl_CasaBerardiMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Senior Notes [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Proceeds from Issuance of Debt |  |  |  |  |  | 500,000,000 us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfDebt / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage |  |  |  |  |  | 6.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Net |  |  |  | 6,500,000 us-gaap_DebtInstrumentIncreaseDecreaseForPeriodNet / us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_SeniorNotesMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Johnny M Mine Area near San Mateo, New Mexico [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated Response Costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0 hl_EstimatedResponseCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_JohnnyMMineAreaNearSanMateoNewMexicoMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember |  |  |  |  |
Johnny M Mine Area near San Mateo, New Mexico [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated Response Costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | 221,000,000 hl_EstimatedResponseCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_JohnnyMMineAreaNearSanMateoNewMexicoMember / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember |  |  |  |  |
Johnny M Mine Area near San Mateo, New Mexico [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Payment Of Response Costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,100,000 hl_PaymentOfResponseCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_JohnnyMMineAreaNearSanMateoNewMexicoMember | 1,100,000 hl_PaymentOfResponseCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_JohnnyMMineAreaNearSanMateoNewMexicoMember | 1,100,000 hl_PaymentOfResponseCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_JohnnyMMineAreaNearSanMateoNewMexicoMember |  |  |
Estimated Response Costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5,600,000 hl_EstimatedResponseCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_JohnnyMMineAreaNearSanMateoNewMexicoMember |  |  |  |  |
Liability for Remediation |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5,600,000 hl_LiabilityForRemediation / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_JohnnyMMineAreaNearSanMateoNewMexicoMember |  |  |  |  |
Carpenter Snow Creek Superfund Site, Cascade County, Montana [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated Response Costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,500,000 hl_EstimatedResponseCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_CarpenterSnowCreekSuperfundSiteCascadeCountyMontanaMember |  |
Estimated Future Response Cost |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100,000,000 hl_EstimatedFutureResponseCost / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_CarpenterSnowCreekSuperfundSiteCascadeCountyMontanaMember |  |
Gilt Edge Mine Superfund Site [Member] | Costs Incurred By The EPA [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Incurred Response Costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 225,000,000 hl_IncurredResponseCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_GiltEdgeMineSuperfundSiteMember / us-gaap_NatureOfExpenseAxis = hl_CostsIncurredByTheEPAMember |
Gilt Edge Mine Superfund Site [Member] | Third Party Operator of Mine [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Settlement, Amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 26,000,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_GiltEdgeMineSuperfundSiteMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = hl_ThirdPartyOperatorOfMineMember |
Gilt Edge Mine Superfund Site [Member] | Third Mining Company [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation Settlement, Amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,200,000 us-gaap_LitigationSettlementAmount / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_GiltEdgeMineSuperfundSiteMember / dei_LegalEntityAxis = hl_ThirdMiningCompanyMember |
Gilt Edge Mine Superfund Site [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Note 7 - Commitments, Contingencies and Obligations (Details) [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Alleged Potential Response Costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 225,000,000 hl_AllegedPotentialResponseCosts / us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis = hl_GiltEdgeMineSuperfundSiteMember |

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