Here's why:

* Silver (Ag) is a transition metal, but in this compound, it exhibits a stable +1 oxidation state.

* Oxygen (O) almost always has a -2 oxidation state in compounds.

To balance the charges in silver oxide:

* Two silver ions (Ag⁺) with a total charge of +2 are needed to balance the -2 charge of one oxygen ion (O²⁻).

Therefore, the valency of silver in silver oxide is +1.