Catalog year: 2008

In 2008, the global metals market experienced significant changes due to global economic events such as the financial crisis:
In the first half of 2008, gold prices rose, reaching record levels in March, when an ounce of gold was worth about $1,000. This was due to increasing economic concerns and rising inflation expectations. In the second half of the year, especially after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in September, the demand for gold as a "safe haven" increased significantly. Investors began actively buying up gold bars and coins, which led to an increase in prices.
Silver followed the trends of gold, but its price was more volatile. Silver prices also peaked at the beginning of the year.
During the crisis, the demand for silver, as an industrial metal, decreased slightly due to a slowdown in economic growth, but investment demand, on the contrary, increased.
The platinum and palladium markets have also been affected by the crisis. In the first half of the year, platinum prices reached record highs due to limited supply and high demand from automakers. However, during the economic downturn of the second half of 2008, platinum and palladium prices plummeted, partly due to falling car sales and reduced production.
The metal market has shown volatility, but interest in physical precious metals (coins and bullion) has increased significantly. Central banks and investors have begun to actively diversify their portfolios to include more gold and other precious metals.