Market history · Commodities ·
Silver reaches $50 for the first time in 45 years
On 9 October 2025 spot silver rose above $50 an ounce, reaching about $51.23, for the first time since the Hunt brothers' attempt to corner the market in 1980. The metal was up nearly 70% for the year, ahead of gold.
MINING.COM listed the drivers: demand for safe havens against United States fiscal risk and worries about the independence of the Federal Reserve, the so-called debasement trade, and industrial demand, with solar panels and wind turbines accounting for more than half of silver use. The Silver Institute expected demand to exceed supply for a fifth year running, and metal in London was unusually tight after fears of United States tariffs drew stock to New York.
Adjusted for inflation, the new high was still only about a quarter of the 1980 peak, according to Bloomberg figures quoted in the same report.
The takeaway
A nominal record and an inflation-adjusted record are different things. Check which one a headline is describing.
Sources
This is a retrospective about a past event, provided for general information. It is not investment advice, does not describe RockLake's positioning at the time, and past performance is not a guide to future performance. Read the risk warning.