Gold Price in 1974

MONTHLY AVERAGES, US DOLLARS PER TROY OUNCE.


$159 average per troy oz in 1974

The highest month of 1974 was December at $184. The lowest was January at $129. The 1974 average was +63.61% compared with the 1973 average ($97.33). From January to December the monthly average moved +42.64%.

Americans were allowed to own gold bullion again from December 31, 1974.

Average$159
Highest month$184
Lowest month$129
Per gram, average$5.12
By month

Gold price by month, 1974

MonthAverage per ozChange from prior month
January (low) $129 +20.56%
February $150 +16.28%
March $168 +12.00%
April $172 +2.38%
May $163 −5.23%
June $154 −5.52%
July $143 −7.14%
August $155 +8.39%
September $152 −1.94%
October $159 +4.61%
November $182 +14.47%
December (high) $184 +1.10%

Each figure is the average of the daily prices in that month, so the high and low are the highest and lowest monthly averages, not the highest and lowest price on a single day.

Inflation context

1974 price in 2025 dollars

A $159 average in 1974 equals about $1,040 in 2025 dollars, using the consumer price index (CPI-U). For comparison, the gold price today is shown on the live gold price page.

Inflation data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI-U all items, U.S. city average (series CUUR0000SA0), annual average, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The adjustment reflects general consumer prices only.

Other years

Gold price in other years

1973 1975   Gold price by year, 1960 to 2025

Questions

Quick answers

What was the price of gold in 1974?

The monthly average gold price in 1974 was $159 per troy ounce (the mean of the 12 monthly averages). The highest month was December at $184. The lowest was January at $129.

What was the gold price per gram in 1974?

$5.12 per gram on average in 1974, which is the ounce price divided by 31.1035.

What is the 1974 gold price in today's dollars?

Using the U.S. consumer price index (CPI-U), an average 1974 price of $159 equals about $1,040 in 2025 dollars. This only adjusts for general consumer prices. It says nothing about what gold was worth to a buyer at the time.

Where does this data come from?

Monthly averages are from the World Bank Commodity Price Data (the Pink Sheet), published under CC BY 4.0. Prices are monthly averages, not daily highs and lows, and the World Bank publishes them rounded.

Source: The World Bank, Commodity Price Data (The Pink Sheet), October 2026 release, CC BY 4.0. worldbank.org. Historical prices are for information, not a quote.