The dicarbene silver complexes 1a, b of the type [Ag(NHC)2][AgBr2] (NHC = N,N'-dialkylbenzimidazolin- 2-ylidene) have been prepared from the parent benzimidazolium salts by reaction with silver oxide. The silver complexes have been used for the transfer of the carbene ligand to gold(I) giving the gold complexes [AuCl(NHC)] 2a, b in good yields. Crystals of 2a, b have been obtained from chloroform/pentane solutions, and X-ray diffraction structure analyses revealed gold(I) atoms coordinated in a linear fashion by an NHC carbon atom and a chloro ligand