The shear strength of grossly deformed copper, silver, and gold has been measured in an opposed anvil shear apparatus at pressures up to 150 kbar in the temperature range from 27°–900°C. The shear data agree with independent strength measurements at low pressures, but differ significantly from high‐pressure shear strength measurements by other investigators. The data also fit a simple empirical formula relating the temperature and pressure dependence of the shear strength.