Gold price history

Gold price in 1997: open, high, low, close

Gold averaged $331.17 an ounce in 1997, moving between $289.00 and $355.00. Month-by-month figures, the year's change and the inflation-adjusted value, from public data.

Open$355.00first monthly average of the year
High$355.00January 1997
Low$289.00December 1997
Close$289.00−21.7% vs 1996

Gold price in 1997, month by month (US dollars per troy ounce)

MonthOpenHighLowCloseLondon avg
Januarymonthly average$355.00
Februarymonthly average$347.00
Marchmonthly average$352.00
Aprilmonthly average$344.00
Maymonthly average$344.00
Junemonthly average$341.00
Julymonthly average$324.00
Augustmonthly average$324.00
Septembermonthly average$323.00
Octobermonthly average$325.00
Novembermonthly average$306.00
Decembermonthly average$289.00

Daily data for this year is not in our public sources, so each month shows the average London (LBMA) price from the World Bank Pink Sheet. Intraday highs and lows were more extreme than these averages.

Source: World Bank Commodity Markets (Pink Sheet) monthly London gold prices; COMEX gold futures (GC=F) daily settlements; US CPI (FRED series CPIAUCSL). Data updated ; refreshed automatically about once a day. Figures are indicative and may be revised by the sources.

Gold in 1997: the numbers

In 1997, gold averaged $331.17 an ounce, measured by monthly averages of the London (LBMA) price. It opened the year at $355.00, reached a high of $355.00 in January 1997 and a low of $289.00 in December 1997, and closed at $289.00, a change of −21.7% from the end of 1996. 2 of the 11 month-to-month changes were higher. Adjusted for inflation, the closing price equals about $601 in September 2026 dollars.

For context, gold closed 1996 at $369.00 and 1998 at $292.00 (+1.0% in 1998).

How this compares with the whole record

The gold price history page charts every year since 1968 and lists the open, high, low and close of each, and the all-time-high tracker shows every record close. Figures for 1997 use monthly averages of the London (LBMA) price; the London price and COMEX futures differ slightly, usually by a few dollars.

Frequently asked questions

What was the gold price in 1997?

Gold averaged $331.17 per troy ounce in 1997, measured by monthly averages of the London (LBMA) price. It opened the year at $355.00 and closed at $289.00.

What was the highest gold price in 1997?

The highest monthly average in 1997 was $355.00, in January 1997. Intraday and daily highs that year were higher than the monthly average.

What was the lowest gold price in 1997?

The lowest monthly average in 1997 was $289.00, in December 1997.

Did gold go up or down in 1997?

Gold down −21.7% in 1997, from $369.00 at the end of 1996 to $289.00. Adjusted for inflation, that closing price is about $601 in September 2026 dollars.

Educational information only, not financial advice and not a forecast. Past prices do not predict future prices. See our risk disclaimer and editorial policy.