What $100 in 1979 was worth — measured in gold

The price of gold didn't get more expensive. The value of the Australian dollar fell.

95.2%

of the Australian dollar's value, gone — measured in gold, since 1979.
It now takes 21.0× more dollars to buy the same ounce.

In 1979, $100 bought 0.36 oz of gold at $275/oz. Held as metal, that same money is worth $2,098 at today's gold price of $5,761/oz (spot as of 2026-08-02).

Same $100. Three rulers.

Measure	$100 from 1979, today	Multiple
Official story — AU CPI (ABS via FRED)	$588	5.9×
Money created — M3 broad money	$5,401	54.0×
In gold — honest weight, valued today	$2,098	21.0×

The gap between 5.9× (CPI) and 54.0× (M3) is official inflation understating the money actually created. The gap between 54.0× and 21.0× (gold) is the flight to hard money — gold outrunning even the printing.

1979 in the fiat story

The Australian series begins where Bretton Woods ends. Through the seventies the AUD was pegged and managed while Australian CPI ran to double digits — the debasement was administered rather than traded.

Try your own numbers

The In Gold calculator runs any amount and any year — AUD from 1971, or see 1979 in USD.

← $100 in 1978 $100 in 1980 →

Method. Gold weight = amount ÷ the gold price of that year; "today" figures rebase the same amount by CPI, money supply, and gold spot. Deterministic — no estimates, no models, no AI in the number path. Annual averages. Sources: FRED CPIAUCNS, FRED M2SL, MeasuringWorth, GoldAPI live spot. Not financial advice. In Gold — the calculator · API
1971 · The Australian story · Methodology · FAQ · Glossary · USD years · AUD years