Silver Price in 1981
The silver price fell 47.4% in 1981, from $15.50 at the end of 1980 to $8.15. Its highest close was $16.30 on Jan 6, and its lowest $8.03 on Nov 23. The biggest one-day fall was −9.0% on Sep 18 and the biggest rise +7.2% on Sep 10. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 51.7%.
Silver Price, daily closes 1981
Numbers mark the events belowKey Events in 1981
What happened, and how the Silver moved — on the day (or the next trading day) and about a month later.
- 1
Tuesday, January 20Ronald Reagan is inaugurated; Iran releases the 52 US hostages. SourceSilver: +0.7% that day · −10.5% a month later
- 2
Monday, July 6 From the dataBear market low: $8.20, 65.2% below the peak.
- 3
Thursday, September 10 From the dataBiggest one-day rise of the year: +7.2%.
- 4
Friday, September 18 From the dataBiggest one-day fall of the year: −9.0%.
- 5
Monday, September 28 From the dataEnters a bear market: 20% below its peak of $11.24 (September 14, 1981).
Biggest days of 1981
| Best days | Worst days | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 10 | +7.2% | Sep 18 | −9.0% |
| Feb 4 | +6.9% | Aug 25 | −8.3% |
| Aug 18 | +5.1% | Sep 28 | −8.1% |
| Aug 12 | +5.0% | Mar 2 | −7.4% |
| Dec 3 | +4.9% | Jun 26 | −7.1% |
Volatility: 41.2% (annualised standard deviation of daily changes).
Month by month
| Month | Close | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | $13.15 | −15.2% |
| Feb | $12.53 | −4.7% |
| Mar | $12.33 | −1.6% |
| Apr | $11.07 | −10.3% |
| May | $10.59 | −4.3% |
| Jun | $8.30 | −21.6% |
| Jul | $8.51 | +2.5% |
| Aug | $9.15 | +7.6% |
| Sep | $8.95 | −2.2% |
| Oct | $9.12 | +1.9% |
| Nov | $8.27 | −9.4% |
| Dec | $8.15 | −1.4% |
Other Markets in 1981
Change over the calendar year.
| Market | Change | Year-end |
|---|---|---|
| Silver Price | −47.4% | $8.15 |
| Dow Jones Industrial Average in 1981 | −9.2% | 875.00 |
| S&P 500 in 1981 | −9.7% | 122.55 |
| Nasdaq Composite in 1981 | −3.2% | 195.84 |
| Gold in 1981 | −32.6% | $397.50 |
| US 10-year Treasury yield in 1981 | +1.55 pp | 13.98% |
Silver Price in 1981: FAQ
How much did the silver price fall in 1981?
The silver price fell 47.4% in 1981, from $15.50 at the end of 1980 to $8.15. Its highest close was $16.30 on Jan 6, and its lowest $8.03 on Nov 23. The biggest one-day fall was −9.0% on Sep 18 and the biggest rise +7.2% on Sep 10. Adjusted for inflation, it lost 51.7%.
What were the highest and lowest closes of the silver price in 1981?
Highest: $16.30 on January 6, 1981. Lowest: $8.03 on November 23, 1981. It closed higher on 118 of 251 trading days.
What happened to the silver price on January 20, 1981?
Ronald Reagan is inaugurated; Iran releases the 52 US hostages. The silver price rose 0.7% that day, and was −10.5% 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{corgano2026silverpricein1981, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Silver Price in 1981}, howpublished = {\url{https://goldprice.corgano.com/market-history/silver/1981}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Gold Price, accessed 2026-10-31}}