Legal Proceedings	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2014
Legal Proceedings [Abstract]
Legal Proceedings	(9) Legal Proceedings. On April 16, 2012, the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K disclosing that DGSE's Board had determined the existence of the certain accounting irregularities beginning approximately during the second calendar quarter of 2007 and continuing in periods subsequent thereto (the "Accounting Irregularities"), which could affect financial information reported since that time. On April 16, 2012, the Company also announced that it had engaged forensic accountants to analyze the Accounting Irregularities, and that financial statements and information reported since the inception of the Accounting Irregularities, believed to begin in the second calendar quarter of 2007, should not be relied upon. The Company brought the Accounting Irregularities to the attention of the SEC in a letter dated April 16, 2012. On June 18, 2012, the Company received written notice that the SEC had initiated a private investigation into the Accounting Irregularities, to determine whether any persons or entities had engaged in any possible violations of the federal securities laws. The Company has cooperated fully, and continues to cooperate fully, with the SEC staff in the investigation. This investigation is still pending as of the date of the filing of this Form 10-Q, and there can be no certainty as to the outcome of this investigation, or to the findings of the SEC. In connection with the Accounting Irregularities, and the subsequent halt in trading of DGSE's Common Stock on the Exchange, the Company settled two lawsuits in Fiscal 2013. The first, Civil Action No. 3:12-cv-3664, was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, on September 7, 2012, entitled Grant Barfuss, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated vs. DGSE Companies, Inc.; L.S. Smith, John Benson and William Oyster. This complaint alleged violations of the securities laws and sought unspecified damages. Plaintiffs alleged that certain public filings in 2010 and 2011 were false and misleading. The second suit, Case No. 3:12-cv-03850 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, was filed on September 21, 2012, by Jason Farmer and entitled Jason Farmer, Derivatively on Behalf of Nominal Defendant DGSE Companies, Inc., Plaintiff, v. William H. Oyster, James D. Clem, William Cordeiro, Craig Alan-Lee, David Rector, L.S. Smith, and John Benson, Defendants, and DGSE Companies, Inc., Nominal Defendant. This suit was filed against DGSE, as a nominal defendant, and against certain and former officers and directors. The plaintiff asserted that certain statements made in DGSE's proxy materials were false and misleading, that the defendants breached fiduciary duties owed to DGSE, for abuse of control, and sought unspecified compensatory and exemplary damages, along with certain corporate governance changes, for the benefit of DGSE. The approved settlement resolved all issues which were pending before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas in both cases. The defendants agreed to pay $2 million to resolve all claims in both suits (including obligations to pay plaintiffs' attorneys' fees). The Company also incurred its own attorneys' fees and expenses associated with finalizing the settlement. While the majority of the total settlement amount and related expenses were paid from insurance proceeds, the Company incurred approximately $314,000 in Fiscal 2013 in relation to these suits. In the quarter ended March 31, 2014, the Company settled a civil suit filed in the County Court for Dallas County, Texas, Cause No. CC-13-02999-C entitled Joseph C. Osterman, T.G. Herron, and, Jean K. Herron, Plaintiffs, vs. DGSE Companies, Inc. d/b/a Dallas Gold & Silver Exchange, Defendants. The complaint alleged amounts owed and due to the plaintiffs by the defendant in relation to a variety of promissory notes allegedly issued between 2001 and 2006 by the defendant. Pursuant to the confidential settlement agreement, which admits no liability on the part of the defendant, the Company has resolved all claims with plaintiff Osterman to the parties' mutual satisfaction. Discussions with plaintiffs Heron are ongoing, and the final outcome of these discussions is uncertain, although any conclusion to this suit is not expected to be material to the Company's results in the year ended December 31, 2014 ("Fiscal 2014"). The Texas Comptroller conducted a sales and use tax audit of our operations in Texas with respect to the period March 1, 2006 through November 30, 2009 and subsequently sent a Notification of Audit Results, by letter dated December 17, 2010, asserting that DGSE owes an amount of tax due, plus penalties and interest. The Company submitted a request for redetermination to the Texas Comptroller by letter dated January 13, 2011. By letter dated August 25, 2011, the Texas Comptroller stated that DGSE's request for a redetermination hearing has been granted. No hearing has taken place, but the Company has been actively engaged in discussions with the Texas Comptroller's office. The Company has reached an informal agreement on certain issues with the attorney representing the Texas Comptroller in the administrative hearing with respect to this liability, while other issues remain under discussion. Although no final determination has been reached, based on the most recent communication from the Texas Comptroller in February of 2014, DGSE believes that it is likely that the Company owes additional taxes, interest and penalty to the State of Texas, and accordingly reserved an additional $775,000 in Fiscal 2013 towards the payment of these amounts. The total reserve in this matter now is approximately $1.1 million, and is based on the Company's current best estimate, which may vary materially from any final assessment.

(9) Legal Proceedings.

On April 16, 2012, the Company filed a Current Report on Form 8-K disclosing that DGSE's Board had determined the existence of the certain accounting irregularities beginning approximately during the second calendar quarter of 2007 and continuing in periods subsequent thereto (the "Accounting Irregularities"), which could affect financial information reported since that time. On April 16, 2012, the Company also announced that it had engaged forensic accountants to analyze the Accounting Irregularities, and that financial statements and information reported since the inception of the Accounting Irregularities, believed to begin in the second calendar quarter of 2007, should not be relied upon. The Company brought the Accounting Irregularities to the attention of the SEC in a letter dated April 16, 2012. On June 18, 2012, the Company received written notice that the SEC had initiated a private investigation into the Accounting Irregularities, to determine whether any persons or entities had engaged in any possible violations of the federal securities laws. The Company has cooperated fully, and continues to cooperate fully, with the SEC staff in the investigation. This investigation is still pending as of the date of the filing of this Form 10-Q, and there can be no certainty as to the outcome of this investigation, or to the findings of the SEC.

In connection with the Accounting Irregularities, and the subsequent halt in trading of DGSE's Common Stock on the Exchange, the Company settled two lawsuits in Fiscal 2013. The first, Civil Action No. 3:12-cv-3664, was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, on September 7, 2012, entitled Grant Barfuss, on behalf of himself and all others similarly situated vs. DGSE Companies, Inc.; L.S. Smith, John Benson and William Oyster. This complaint alleged violations of the securities laws and sought unspecified damages. Plaintiffs alleged that certain public filings in 2010 and 2011 were false and misleading. The second suit, Case No. 3:12-cv-03850 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, was filed on September 21, 2012, by Jason Farmer and entitled Jason Farmer, Derivatively on Behalf of Nominal Defendant DGSE Companies, Inc., Plaintiff, v. William H. Oyster, James D. Clem, William Cordeiro, Craig Alan-Lee, David Rector, L.S. Smith, and John Benson, Defendants, and DGSE Companies, Inc., Nominal Defendant. This suit was filed against DGSE, as a nominal defendant, and against certain and former officers and directors. The plaintiff asserted that certain statements made in DGSE's proxy materials were false and misleading, that the defendants breached fiduciary duties owed to DGSE, for abuse of control, and sought unspecified compensatory and exemplary damages, along with certain corporate governance changes, for the benefit of DGSE.

The approved settlement resolved all issues which were pending before the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas in both cases. The defendants agreed to pay $2 million to resolve all claims in both suits (including obligations to pay plaintiffs' attorneys' fees). The Company also incurred its own attorneys' fees and expenses associated with finalizing the settlement. While the majority of the total settlement amount and related expenses were paid from insurance proceeds, the Company incurred approximately $314,000 in Fiscal 2013 in relation to these suits.

In the quarter ended March 31, 2014, the Company settled a civil suit filed in the County Court for Dallas County, Texas, Cause No. CC-13-02999-C entitled Joseph C. Osterman, T.G. Herron, and, Jean K. Herron, Plaintiffs, vs. DGSE Companies, Inc. d/b/a Dallas Gold & Silver Exchange, Defendants. The complaint alleged amounts owed and due to the plaintiffs by the defendant in relation to a variety of promissory notes allegedly issued between 2001 and 2006 by the defendant. Pursuant to the confidential settlement agreement, which admits no liability on the part of the defendant, the Company has resolved all claims with plaintiff Osterman to the parties' mutual satisfaction. Discussions with plaintiffs Heron are ongoing, and the final outcome of these discussions is uncertain, although any conclusion to this suit is not expected to be material to the Company's results in the year ended December 31, 2014 ("Fiscal 2014").

The Texas Comptroller conducted a sales and use tax audit of our operations in Texas with respect to the period March 1, 2006 through November 30, 2009 and subsequently sent a Notification of Audit Results, by letter dated December 17, 2010, asserting that DGSE owes an amount of tax due, plus penalties and interest. The Company submitted a request for redetermination to the Texas Comptroller by letter dated January 13, 2011. By letter dated August 25, 2011, the Texas Comptroller stated that DGSE's request for a redetermination hearing has been granted. No hearing has taken place, but the Company has been actively engaged in discussions with the Texas Comptroller's office. The Company has reached an informal agreement on certain issues with the attorney representing the Texas Comptroller in the administrative hearing with respect to this liability, while other issues remain under discussion. Although no final determination has been reached, based on the most recent communication from the Texas Comptroller in February of 2014, DGSE believes that it is likely that the Company owes additional taxes, interest and penalty to the State of Texas, and accordingly reserved an additional $775,000 in Fiscal 2013 towards the payment of these amounts. The total reserve in this matter now is approximately $1.1 million, and is based on the Company's current best estimate, which may vary materially from any final assessment.