The spot price is the current wholesale price for one troy ounce of gold, silver or platinum for immediate delivery, set by trading in large bars between banks and dealers. It is quoted in US dollars and converted into AUD.
Where the spot price comes from
Spot is not set by any one company. It reflects continuous trading in the global over-the-counter market centred on London, where banks deal in 400 oz Good Delivery bars, and in futures markets such as COMEX in New York and the Shanghai Gold Exchange. Prices are quoted in US dollars per troy ounce and update every few seconds on weekdays.
Separately, the LBMA Gold Price is set twice a day by auction in London and the LBMA Silver Price once a day. These are reference prices used in contracts, not the live quote dealers watch through the day.
Spot in Australian dollars
Because the market prices in USD, the AUD spot price is the USD price divided by the AUD/USD exchange rate. Fixed-number example: if gold were 3,000 USD per ounce and one Australian dollar bought 0.65 USD, AUD spot would be 3,000 / 0.65 = 4,615 AUD per ounce. If the Aussie dollar weakened to 0.60, the same USD price would become 5,000 AUD. So a weaker Australian dollar lifts the local gold price, and a stronger one lowers it, even when the USD price is unchanged.
Australian trading hours add a twist. While Sydney is awake, London and New York are mostly closed, so the morning AUD price often reflects what happened overnight in New York. Watch the live gold price chart in AUD and the silver price in AUD to see this pattern.
Why you cannot buy at spot
Spot is the price for wholesale bars traded between institutions. A retail coin or small bar has to be fabricated, assayed, packed, insured and shipped, and the dealer needs a margin. That cost is the premium over spot. On top, dealers buy back below spot or close to it, which creates a bid-ask spread.
- Large bars (1 kg) trade nearest to spot.
- 1 oz bullion coins such as the Kangaroo carry a moderate premium.
- Fractional coins and silver carry the highest premium in percentage terms.
The useful question is not "what is spot?" but "how far above spot is the final delivered price?". That is what our ranking of the cheapest gold coins in Australia answers, with shipping included.
Related terms
Premium Over Spot Bid-Ask Spread LBMA Good Delivery Troy Ounce
FAQ
What is the gold spot price in AUD?
It is the USD spot price per troy ounce converted at the current AUD/USD exchange rate; our live chart shows it in AUD.
Why is the price of gold different at every dealer?
Each dealer adds its own premium over spot to cover minting, shipping and margin, so final prices differ even when spot is the same.
Does gold trade on weekends?
The main wholesale markets close at the weekend, so the spot price barely moves from Saturday morning until Monday in Australia.