The spread, or the bid-ask spread, is the difference between the asking price of gold per troy ounce and the bid price of gold and represents the dealer’s profit. Dealers will offer to sell gold to you for the asking price, and when you decide to sell gold back, the dealer will pay the bid price. For example, if a dealer purchased gold for $1,820 per ounce and then sold that same gold for $1,850 per ounce, the spread is $30.