1999: Prices lowest in 20 years after Gordon Brown urged Bank of England to sell half its reserves
These were sold in 17 auctions between 1999 and 2002 for average of $275.6 an ounce

Currently about $900 an ounce

In March it surged through $1,000 mark for first time

http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7657178.stm

Did quite well on them actually - played up and down with an accounted amount at the brokers - and made a good bit - the day they swung up and down 20p I bought low and sold at +20p - minus the commission, stamp and trade it came out pretty good!

Was within 20 mins of them dropping back to bad SPs - I got a few more recently at 64p but not a lot - just to hold on to for a while