Gold Price in 1991
The gold price fell 8.6% in 1991, from $386.20 at the end of 1990 to $353.15. Its highest close was $403.00 on Jan 16, and its lowest $344.25 on Sep 13. The biggest one-day fall was −6.0% on Jan 17 and the biggest rise +2.0% on Jan 14. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 11.3%.
Gold Price, daily closes 1991
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 1991
What happened, and how the Gold moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Monday, January 14 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +2.0%.
- 2
Thursday, January 17US-led coalition begins Operation Desert Storm air campaign against Iraq. SourceGold: −6.0% that day · −8.6% a month later
- 3
Thursday, February 28Operation Desert Storm ends after the 100-hour ground campaign. SourceGold: +0.8% that day · −1.2% a month later
- 4
Monday, August 19Hardliners launch a coup attempt against Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev; it collapses within days. SourceGold: +1.0% that day · −3.2% a month later
- 5
Thursday, December 26The Soviet Union is formally dissolved. SourceGold: −1.8% next trading day (Dec 27) · −1.0% a month later
Biggest days of 1991
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 14 | +2.0% | Jan 17 | −6.0% |
| Apr 30 | +1.9% | Jan 30 | −2.6% |
| Sep 30 | +1.9% | Aug 20 | −2.0% |
| Feb 8 | +1.7% | Dec 12 | −1.9% |
| May 29 | +1.6% | Sep 11 | −1.8% |
Volatility: 12.2% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | $366.00 | −5.2% |
| Feb | $362.70 | −0.9% |
| Mar | $355.65 | −1.9% |
| Apr | $357.75 | +0.6% |
| May | $360.40 | +0.7% |
| Jun | $368.35 | +2.2% |
| Jul | $362.85 | −1.5% |
| Aug | $347.40 | −4.3% |
| Sep | $354.90 | +2.2% |
| Oct | $357.45 | +0.7% |
| Nov | $366.30 | +2.5% |
| Dec | $353.15 | −3.6% |
Other Markets in 1991
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| Gold Price | −8.6% | $353.15 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1991 | +20.3% | 3,168.83 |
| S&P 500 in 1991 | +26.3% | 417.09 |
| Nasdaq Composite in 1991 | +56.9% | 586.34 |
| Russell 2000 in 1991 | +43.7% | 189.94 |
| Nikkei 225 in 1991 | −3.6% | 22,984.00 |
| Silver in 1991 | −7.9% | $3.86 |
| WTI crude oil in 1991 | −32.8% | $19.15 |
| Brent crude oil in 1991 | −37.4% | $17.75 |
| US 10-year Treasury yield in 1991 | −1.37 pp | 6.71% |
Gold Price in 1991: FAQ
How much did the gold price fall in 1991?
The gold price fell 8.6% in 1991, from $386.20 at the end of 1990 to $353.15. Its highest close was $403.00 on Jan 16, and its lowest $344.25 on Sep 13. The biggest one-day fall was −6.0% on Jan 17 and the biggest rise +2.0% on Jan 14. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 11.3%.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the gold price in 1991?
Highest: $403.00 on January 16, 1991. Lowest: $344.25 on September 13, 1991. It closed higher on 123 of 253 trading days.
What happened to the gold price on January 17, 1991?
US-led coalition begins Operation Desert Storm air campaign against Iraq. The gold price fell 6.0% that day, and was −8.6% a month later.
Data: London PM fix (LBMA) from 1968 to Sep 2017, COMEX gold futures closes after that. Before 1968 the official US price: $20.67 until Oct 1933, $35 from 31 Jan 1934. Inflation: US CPI-U. Events marked "From the data" are found automatically from the closing prices; the others are researched, with the source linked. Not investment advice.
Cite this page
For essays, articles and research. Prices on this page update daily, so the citations include today's date as the date you accessed it.
@misc{corgano2026goldpricein1991, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Gold Price in 1991}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/gold/1991}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}