What term describes the 1980 collapse in silver prices after the Hunt brothers’ speculation?

The 1980 collapse in silver prices after the Hunt brothers’ speculation is known as Silver Thursday.

Nelson Bunker Hunt and William Herbert Hunt attempted to accumulate a large share of the world’s silver, using borrowed money and futures contracts. Their buying helped drive silver prices dramatically higher in the late 1970s and early 1980.

On 27 March 1980, silver prices collapsed after exchange-rule changes limited further speculative buying and lenders demanded additional collateral. The day became known as Silver Thursday. The Hunt brothers and several associated parties later faced bankruptcy proceedings, while lawsuits and regulatory actions followed.

The event was primarily a commodities-market corner and leveraged speculation episode, rather than a conventional broad stock-market crash. It remains a famous warning about borrowed money, concentrated positions, futures contracts, and the dangers of trying to control a market’s supply.