Historical gold prices

Silver, platinum and palladium history

Silver peaked near $50 in 1980 and again in 2011, then spent years in a lower range before rising in the 2020s. Platinum traded above gold for most of the 2000s, reaching over $2,200 in 2008, before falling below gold from 2015 onwards. Palladium was a minor metal until the 2000s, then soared to record highs above $3,000 in 2022 on catalytic-converter demand before a sharp decline. Viewing these metals on the all-time chart makes it clear how much more volatile they are than gold.

Key milestones in the gold price

1971: the dollar's link to gold ends at $35/oz. 1980: gold peaks above $800 amid high inflation. 1999: it bottoms near $250 after a long bear market. 2011: a new high above $1,900 after the financial crisis. 2020: gold passes $2,000 during the pandemic. The 2020s have since seen repeated new records, driven by inflation, central-bank buying and geopolitical tension.

Measured from the 1999 low of about $250, today's price of $4,148.63 represents a rise of roughly 1559%.

Gold and silver prices in the available archive

The displayed historical archive contains the observations supplied by MetalflowAPI for the chosen metal and currency. Its earliest date depends on actual coverage; no start date or missing daily prices are assumed. In 1971 the dollar’s convertibility into gold ended, an important historical context rather than a guarantee about this feed. Since then, gold has gone through several long cycles: the 1970s inflation rally, a two-decade bear market into 1999, a strong rise to 2011, a correction, and a renewed bull market in the 2020s.

Today gold trades at $4,148.63 per ounce — roughly 119 times the old fixed price of $35. Silver, at $57.14, has been far more volatile over the same period.

How to use historical prices

Historical data helps answer practical questions: what was my inherited jewellery worth when it was bought, how has gold performed against inflation, and how deep have past corrections been? Select a metal and currency, choose the 1-year or all-time range, and read off the price for the date you need.

Example: if you bought a 1 oz coin when gold was $1,300, its melt value today is $4,148.63 — a change of 219%. The same calculation works for any purchase date shown on the chart.

Understanding long-term returns

Over long periods, gold has broadly kept pace with or exceeded inflation, but with long flat stretches. That is why many investors treat it as insurance rather than a growth asset. Comparing gold with silver, platinum and palladium on the same chart also shows how industrial demand affects the other metals.

When comparing across decades, remember that prices here are nominal (not inflation-adjusted). A rough inflation adjustment can be made by applying a consumer price index to the old price.

Tips for researching past prices

Use the currency selector to view prices in your own currency — a weaker local currency has often made gold rise faster outside the US. For tax or inheritance purposes, keep a note of the source and date of the price you use, and check whether your authority requires a specific daily fix.

Use historical data without implying missing precision

The 2025 page isolates observations within that calendar year; the ten-year page requests a rolling interval measured from the current date. These are distinct questions. Neither page claims complete coverage when the source begins later or omits observations. Read the displayed coverage before interpreting first-to-last change as a full-period investment return. The observed monthly or yearly averages are arithmetic means of sampled source values, not official daily auction averages or time-weighted returns.

Your item’s historic metal value also needs its own content calculation. A gross 10 g ring with a 2 g stone does not contain 10 g of gold alloy. If the net 8 g alloy is 18K, its fine content is 6 g. Multiply that by the relevant historic fine-gold price per gram. This says nothing about past retail workmanship charges, gemstone quality or collectible demand. For bullion, a mint’s fine-content specification may be more direct than gross weight and karat.

Keep the benchmark source and date beside the transaction records. A spot reference can help compare a purchase or sale but may not satisfy a tax authority’s valuation requirements. Prices here are nominal and exclude premiums, storage, transaction taxes and currency spreads. Use documented inflation and exchange-rate series for purchasing-power research rather than assuming the chart has already made those adjustments.