Calculators · Money history
Dollars vs. gold
The same savings, kept three ways: cash, a savings account, or gold. Pick a year and see how each one held up.
Year by year
Until 1971 the U.S. fixed the price of gold by law, so it barely moved. The official price is still $42.2222 an ounce in the government's books; the market price on Oct. 14, 2026 was $4,089.25.
Follow the moneyGold standardThe gold windowFiat moneyThe shrinking dollarChapter 1: The Evolution of Money
Past results, not a forecast. "Savings" uses 3-month Treasury bill rates, close to what a good savings account paid; many bank accounts paid less. Gold returns are year-end to year-end prices; storage costs, fees and taxes are left out. "Buying power (2025)" adjusts with yearly average prices (CPI), so it's approximate. Education, not financial advice.
Sources: Aswath Damodaran, NYU Stern, "Historical Returns on Stocks, Bonds, Bills and Gold, 1928 to 2025" (updated Jan. 5, 2026). Prices: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis CPI. Official gold price: U.S. Treasury, Status Report of U.S. Government Gold Reserve ($42.2222 per fine troy ounce). Market price: LBMA gold price PM, Oct. 14, 2026.