Thus, the full value of a December contract, selling at 73.02 cents a pound, is about $29,200.

The peak price for the next 12 months is on the December contract, at $2.64.

The more actively traded December contract finished at $5.38 an ounce.

The far more active and pivotal December contract posted a gain of $8.10, to $414.

Yesterday the December contract settled at a price of 109 6/32, down 9/32 on the day.

The December contract, however, is now trading at 3.72 percent.

During the day, the December contract reached a high of 234.50 near the open and a low of 225 in the early afternoon.

Oil prices were slightly lower, with the December contract for crude down 8 cents, at $22.50 a barrel.

The far more active December contract lost $27, at $396.20.

The more heavily traded December contract dropped 11 cents, to $4.155.