Historical Archive · XAU/USD · Friday
Gold Price on May 19, 1989
International gold spot price for Friday, May 19, 1989— sourced from gold-api.com's continuous historical archive of London gold fixings.
XAU / USD
$365.50
per troy ounce
USD / Gram
$11.751
1 gram
USD / Tola
$137.06
11.664 grams
Price action on May 19, 1989
1-day move
vs prior session
7-day move
rolling week
30-day move
rolling month
YTD
since 1 Jan 1989
Calendar position
Day 139 of 365
Trading day
120th of 310
Position in 1989's range
14% (low $355.80 → high $423.90)
Surrounding ±15 trading days
All unit conversions for May 19, 1989
| Unit | Weight | USD price |
|---|---|---|
| Troy ounce | 31.1035 g | $365.50 |
| Gram | 1.0000 g | $11.751 |
| 10 grams | 10 g | $117.51 |
| Kilogram | 1,000 g | $11,751.09 |
| Tola | 11.664 g | $137.06 |
| Pavan | ≈ 7.776 g | $91.38 |
Why no country breakdown? Reliable historical exchange-rate data only extends back to 1 January 1990. For dates between 1970 and 1989 we publish the verified XAU/USD price — the same global benchmark used by central banks and bullion dealers — but local-currency conversions are not provided to avoid showing inaccurate historical figures. For dates from 1990 onwards, full country tables (PKR, INR, AED, SAR, GBP, EUR and 100+ more) are available.
Gold in 1989 — at a glance
Approximate price band
$356 – $416 / troy oz
Bear-market continuation. Gold traded mostly between $360 and $415. The Berlin Wall fell on 9 November, but markets were focused on Cold War detente rather than any inflationary risk. The decade ended at ~$401.
Key events that year
- Nov
Fall of the Berlin Wall
Geopolitical de-escalation. Markets viewed the post–Cold War world as deflationary; gold remained range-bound.
The 1970s — gold's break from fiat
On 15 August 1971 President Nixon ended USD convertibility to gold, dismantling the Bretton Woods system. Free-floating gold rose from a Bretton-Woods price of $35/oz to a January 1980 nominal peak near $850/oz. The decade was defined by stagflation, two oil shocks (1973–74 and 1979), Soviet–US tensions, and double-digit US inflation — an environment in which gold became the textbook inflation hedge.
Frequently asked questions
What was the gold price on May 19, 1989?
On May 19, 1989, the international XAU/USD spot price closed at approximately $365.50 per troy ounce, equivalent to $11.751 per gram and $137.06 per tola. Source: gold-api.com historical archives.
Why are local-currency conversions not shown for this date?
Reliable historical exchange-rate data only goes back to 1 January 1990. For dates between 1970 and 1989 we display the international XAU/USD spot price (which is the global benchmark) but cannot accurately convert to local currencies (PKR, INR, AED, etc.) without trustworthy historical FX data. For dates from 1990 onwards, country-by-country price tables are available on each daily page.
What was the gold price band in 1989?
In 1989, gold traded approximately in the $356 – $416 range. Bear-market continuation. Gold traded mostly between $360 and $415. The Berlin Wall fell on 9 November, but markets were focused on Cold War detente rather than any inflationary risk. The decade ended at ~$401.
How does Goldify Pro source this data?
Daily XAU/USD spot prices for 1970–present are sourced from gold-api.com, which maintains a continuous historical archive of London gold-fix prices. We display the price at face value with no editorial adjustments.
Was 1970–1989 a good period to own gold?
Gold was an outstanding investment from 1971–1980 (rising from $35 to $850, a 24× return) and a poor one from 1980–1985 (falling to $284). The 1980s as a whole saw gold underperform stocks. The 50-year history page covers the full picture.
Other historical years
Interactive Chart
Full XAU/USD chart since 1970
50-Year History
Full half-century gold story
Live Gold Rates
Today's prices for 100+ countries
Gold Calculators
Tola, gram, karat, polish
Gold in 1989
All ${year} daily prices
Gold Reference Guide
Karats, purity, weight units
Gold price on May 19, 1989: detailed analysis
May 19, 1989 fell on a Friday — the 120th trading session of 310 for 1989. The international XAU/USD spot price closed at $365.50/oz, equivalent to $11.751/gram and $137.06/tola. This represents the London gold fix benchmark in US dollars; physical gold in any country at the time was sold at this rate plus local taxes, dealer premiums, and currency-conversion costs.
At this point in 1989, gold was -9.53% year-to-date versus the 1 January open of $404.01/oz. The 1-day move from the prior session was -1.22%. Across the trailing trading week the price moved -3.02%. Over the prior ~30 trading sessions, gold moved -5.29%.
Within 1989's observed range — a low of $355.80/oz and a high of $423.90/oz — this date sat at roughly the 14th percentile. That puts the day near the bottom of the year's price band.
Historical archives like this one are useful for several purposes: settling estate valuations and inheritance calculations involving gold purchased decades ago, researching the long-term performance of gold as an asset class, understanding the impact of major historical events (oil shocks, Cold War flashpoints, monetary policy shifts), and for academic study of the post–Bretton-Woods era.
We display data with no editorial markup. The XAU/USD price for this date comes from gold-api.com, which maintains continuous London-fix records back to the start of free-floating gold in 1971. Per-gram and per-tola figures are calculated using the fixed conversion of 1 troy ounce = 31.1035 grams, and 1 tola = 11.664 grams.
For full country-by-country price tables (24K, 22K, 21K, 18K per tola/gram in 100+ local currencies), visit any date from 1990 onwards. For an interactive chart of the entire gold-price history since 1970, see our 50-year analysis page. And for today's live rate in your country, check live rates here.
Disclaimer: This page is for informational and historical-research purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Prices shown are international XAU/USD spot reference figures; actual physical-market prices in any country at the time may have varied due to local taxes, premiums, and currency-conversion factors.