For the standard Gold was trading at commodity exchanges "XAU" awarded as a separate currency code according to ISO 4217th It means the price of an ounce of gold. Contrary to popular belief precious metals such as gold and silver are not traded on the London Metal Exchange (LME), but at the London Bullion Market, the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) and the Tokyo Commodity Exchange (TOCOM).

On the spot market prices for the immediate physical delivery are traded, while in the futures and options markets are fixed prices for deliveries in the future. The spot price and the futures price to grow in parallel, as a rule. The main trading centers for gold futures and gold options are New York and Tokyo. The physical trade in gold bullion takes place mainly in London, Zurich and Hong Kong.

The London Bullion Market is called the center of the physical trade in gold bullion, the off-trade (English: Over-the-counter, OTC). Among its clients are mainly institutional investors. For trade only bars from Affinerie and mints are allowed to meet certain quality requirements. The international stamp of approval "good-delivery ', German (" in good delivery ") guarantees the imprinted or embossed features such as thickness and weight. Gold bullion with Good Delivery status are accepted worldwide and traded.

Shares of international gold producers that are not trade their gold production in the futures or sell, listed in the AMEX Gold BUGS Index (HUI). The index is calculated on the NYSE Amex (formerly the American Stock Exchange). Hedged and unhedged gold and silver producers, including the Philadelphia Gold and Silver Index (XAU). The index is trading on the NASDAQ OMX PHLX, formerly Philadelphia Stock Exchange (PHLX), instead.