Silver Price in 1973

In 1973, the price of silver averaged $2.56 per troy ounce, up 52.4% from the year before. This page covers the 1973 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that silver would be worth in today's dollars.

1973 Average

$2.56

LBMA annual average, USD/oz

Change vs 1972

+52.4%

from $1.68 in 1972

1973 High

$3.28

from daily trading data

1973 Low

$1.96

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$3.28

last trading day of 1973

Silver Price Chart, 1970 to 1990

Annual average silver price per troy ounce, 1970 to 1990, with 1973 marked.

Silver Price by Month in 1973

Each month's average of daily closing prices, with its high and low, per troy ounce. These come from MetalCharts daily spot data, so they can differ slightly from the annual average above, which is based on LBMA annual average data.

Month	Average	High	Low
January 1973	$2.02	$2.05	$1.96
February 1973	$2.24	$2.49	$2.04
March 1973	$2.31	$2.58	$2.19
April 1973	$2.21	$2.30	$2.12
May 1973	$2.40	$2.62	$2.15
June 1973	$2.62	$2.72	$2.49
July 1973	$2.71	$2.72	$2.69
August 1973	$2.66	$2.72	$2.57
September 1973	$2.68	$2.86	$2.55
October 1973	$2.88	$3.05	$2.73
November 1973	$2.86	$2.98	$2.77
December 1973	$3.15	$3.28	$3.01

What happened to the silver price in 1973

Silver averaged $2.56 per troy ounce in 1973, surging 52.4% from the $1.68 average of 1972. Annual moves of that size are rare and put 1973 among the most explosive years in the metal's modern history. Daily trading data shows silver moved between a low of $1.96 and a high of $3.28 during the year, ending 1973 at $3.28. The defining story of 1973: Oil crisis; commodity prices surge.

The 1970s transformed silver from a demonetized coinage metal into one of the hottest inflation trades of the era. Prices climbed from under $2 per ounce early in the decade to double digits by 1979 as the Hunt brothers built enormous positions.

Adjusted for inflation, silver's 1973 average of $2.56 equals about $19 in today's dollars. The conversion uses US Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI-U annual averages, so treat it as a close approximation rather than an exact figure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the price of silver in 1973?

Silver averaged $2.56 per troy ounce in 1973, based on LBMA annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $1.96 to a high of $3.28, and the year closed at $3.28. That average was up 52.4% from $1.68 in 1972.

What is a 1973 silver price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, silver's 1973 average of $2.56 works out to roughly $19 in today's dollars, using 2025 as the CPI base year. The conversion uses BLS CPI-U annual averages, so treat it as a close approximation rather than an exact figure.

What moved the silver price in 1973?

The defining story of 1973: Oil crisis; commodity prices surge. Against that backdrop, the annual average climbed 52.4%, from $1.68 in 1972 to $2.56.

Annual averages are LBMA prices per troy ounce in US dollars. Where shown, the yearly high, low, and close come from MetalCharts daily historical data and may differ slightly from figures published elsewhere. Inflation adjustments use BLS CPI-U annual averages.