Silver Price in 1997

In 1997, the price of silver averaged $4.89 per troy ounce, down 5.8% from the year before. This page covers the 1997 average, high, low, and year-end close, the events that moved the market, and what that silver would be worth in today's dollars.

1997 Average

$4.89

LBMA annual average, USD/oz

Change vs 1996

-5.8%

from $5.19 in 1996

1997 High

$6.39

from daily trading data

1997 Low

$4.19

from daily trading data

Year-End Close

$6.00

last trading day of 1997

What happened to the silver price in 1997

Silver averaged $4.89 per troy ounce in 1997, down 5.8% from $5.19 the year before. Daily trading data shows silver moved between a low of $4.19 and a high of $6.39 during the year, ending 1997 at $6.00. The notable development of 1997: Warren Buffett buys 130M oz.

The 1990s were silver's quietest decade. Prices spent most of it between $4 and $6 per ounce, and the most notable event was Warren Buffett's 1997 purchase of roughly 130 million ounces through Berkshire Hathaway.

Adjusted for inflation, silver's 1997 average of $4.89 equals about $9.82 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 1997?

Silver averaged $4.89 per troy ounce in 1997, based on LBMA annual average data. Daily prices ranged from a low of $4.19 to a high of $6.39, and the year closed at $6.00. That average was down 5.8% from $5.19 in 1996.

What is a 1997 silver price worth in today's dollars?

Adjusted with the US Consumer Price Index, silver's 1997 average of $4.89 works out to roughly $9.82 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 1997?

The defining story of 1997: Warren Buffett buys 130M oz. Against that backdrop, the annual average fell 5.8%, from $5.19 in 1996 to $4.89.

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.