In 1971, you could buy a troy ounce of silver for $1.50. Today, silver trades above $50 per ounce. That is not silver becoming more valuable. That is your dollars becoming worth less.
Silver's price history does more than track a commodity. It measures the purchasing power your currency has lost over five decades of government spending and central bank intervention.
1980 Peak
$49.45 / oz
Adjusted for inflation, this would equal approximately $185 in today's dollars. The purchasing power that $49 held in 1980 now requires nearly four times as many dollars to match.
2011 Peak
$48.70 / oz
Following the 2008 financial crisis and massive QE, silver surged as investors sought protection from dollar debasement.
What Drove Silver's Historic Peaks
The 1980 surge began when investors recognized what the end of the gold standard meant for paper currency. Over nine years, silver rose from $1.50 to nearly $50.
The 2011 peak followed the 2008 financial crisis. The Federal Reserve created trillions of dollars from nothing. Investors watched this unfold and bought silver as protection.
The 2025 surge combines familiar elements with new pressures: tariff uncertainties, supply constraints from declining mine production, and continued monetary expansion.
Silver Responds To Policy
Silver's price movements correlate directly with central bank decisions. When central banks print money to fund government spending, silver responds. When inflation erodes savings, silver holds value.
Silver does not rise because of speculation. Silver rises because people recognize that their currency is being diluted and they want to hold something real.
The Gold-Silver Relationship
Silver tends to track gold's movements, but with greater volatility. This cuts both ways: silver can gain faster during uncertainty, but can also decline faster. This makes it suitable for those who understand its potential and its swings.
Real Assets Do Not Require Permission
They cannot be printed. And they remember what every dollar has forgotten.