Silver Price in 1979
In 1979, the price of silver averaged $11.09 per troy ounce, up 105.4% from the year before. This page covers the 1979 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that silver would be worth in today's dollars.
1979 Average
$11.09
LBMA annual average, USD/oz
Change vs 1978
+105.4%
from $5.40 in 1978
1979 High
$28.00
from daily trading data
1979 Low
$5.96
from daily trading data
Year-End Close
$28.00
last trading day of 1979
Silver Price Chart, 1970 to 1990
Silver Price by Month in 1979
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 1979 | $6.25 | $6.75 | $5.96 |
| February 1979 | $7.42 | $7.93 | $6.66 |
| March 1979 | $7.45 | $7.76 | $7.12 |
| April 1979 | $7.49 | $7.85 | $7.28 |
| May 1979 | $8.38 | $8.77 | $7.95 |
| June 1979 | $8.54 | $8.76 | $8.30 |
| July 1979 | $9.15 | $9.68 | $8.55 |
| August 1979 | $9.33 | $10.48 | $8.73 |
| September 1979 | $13.96 | $16.85 | $10.91 |
| October 1979 | $16.79 | $18.00 | $15.45 |
| November 1979 | $16.59 | $18.77 | $15.87 |
| December 1979 | $22.12 | $28.00 | $18.75 |
What happened to the silver price in 1979
Silver averaged $11.09 per troy ounce in 1979, surging 105.4% from the $5.40 average of 1978. Annual moves of that size are rare and put 1979 among the most explosive years in the metal's modern history. Daily trading data shows silver moved between a low of $5.96 and a high of $28.00 during the year, ending 1979 at $28.00. The defining story of 1979: Hunt Brothers accumulate silver.
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 1979 average of $11.09 equals about $49 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 1979?
What is a 1979 silver price worth in today's dollars?
What moved the silver price in 1979?
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.