Silver Price in 1972
The silver price rose 48.1% in 1972, from $1.37 at the end of 1971 to $2.03. Its highest close was $2.03 on Dec 29, and its lowest $1.37 on Jan 3. The biggest one-day fall was −4.2% on Sep 18 and the biggest rise +5.4% on Jul 28. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 43.3%.
Silver Price, daily closes 1972
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 1972
What happened, and how the Silver moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Tuesday, May 16CME's International Monetary Market begins trading foreign currency futures. SourceSilver: +0.4% that day · −0.3% a month later
- 2
Friday, June 23Britain announces it will let the pound float. SourceSilver: +0.6% next trading day (Jun 27) · +13.7% a month later
- 3
Friday, July 28 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +5.4%.
- 4
Monday, September 18 From the dataBiggest one-day fall of the year: −4.2%.
- 5
Tuesday, November 7Richard Nixon is re-elected US president. SourceSilver: −1.1% that day · +0.8% a month later
- 6
Friday, December 22 From the dataBack above its pre-bear-market peak of $2.00 (November 3, 1969).
Biggest days of 1972
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 28 | +5.4% | Sep 18 | −4.2% |
| Jul 7 | +4.6% | Feb 14 | −2.8% |
| Jan 17 | +3.5% | Jul 21 | −2.3% |
| Sep 28 | +3.4% | Feb 3 | −2.1% |
| Jan 28 | +3.4% | Sep 12 | −2.1% |
Volatility: 19.6% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | $1.50 | +9.3% |
| Feb | $1.47 | −1.9% |
| Mar | $1.56 | +6.3% |
| Apr | $1.57 | +0.6% |
| May | $1.55 | −1.3% |
| Jun | $1.56 | +0.8% |
| Jul | $1.83 | +17.0% |
| Aug | $1.91 | +4.4% |
| Sep | $1.74 | −8.9% |
| Oct | $1.80 | +3.4% |
| Nov | $1.85 | +3.0% |
| Dec | $2.03 | +9.7% |
Other Markets in 1972
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Price | +48.1% | $2.03 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1972 | +14.6% | 1,020.02 |
| S&P 500 in 1972 | +15.6% | 118.05 |
| Nasdaq Composite in 1972 | +17.2% | 133.73 |
| Gold in 1972 | +48.8% | $64.90 |
| US 10-year Treasury yield in 1972 | +0.52 pp | 6.41% |
Silver Price in 1972: FAQ
How much did the silver price rise in 1972?
The silver price rose 48.1% in 1972, from $1.37 at the end of 1971 to $2.03. Its highest close was $2.03 on Dec 29, and its lowest $1.37 on Jan 3. The biggest one-day fall was −4.2% on Sep 18 and the biggest rise +5.4% on Jul 28. Adjusted for inflation, it gained 43.3%.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the silver price in 1972?
Highest: $2.03 on December 29, 1972. Lowest: $1.37 on January 3, 1972. It closed higher on 132 of 252 trading days.
What happened to the silver price on November 7, 1972?
Richard Nixon is re-elected US president. The silver price fell 1.1% that day, and was +0.8% a month later.
Data: London silver fix from 1968 to Jan 2018 (gaps filled with Perth Mint spot), COMEX silver futures closes after that. 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{corgano2026silverpricein1972, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Silver Price in 1972}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/silver/1972}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}