The number of complexes with gold in a formal oxidation state of two have increased considerably and nowadays this oxidation state can be considered nearly as a common state in gold chemistry. This review covers the evolution of the knowledge of this oxidation state from the first dithiocarbamate derivatives [Au₂(S₂CNR₂)₂X₂], stable only at very low temperature, to the room temperature stable dinuclear gold complexes [Au₂(L–L)₂X₂] (L–L=CH₂PPh₂CH₂, CH₂PPh₂S, C₅H₄PPh₂-2; X=halogen). Although a dinuclear structure with a gold(II)–gold(II) bond supported by two equal bridging ligands were the first and most common, this review shows the present diversity as mononuclear, [Au([9]aneS₃)₂](BF₄)₂, dinuclear with two different bridging ligands, [Au₂(S₂CNR₂)(CH₂PPh₂CH₂)X₂], with a non-supported metal–metal bond, [Au₂(Ph₂PC₈H₆PPh₂)₂Cl₂](PF₆)₂, and polynuclear gold(II) complexes either with chains of only gold centers or with other metals, such as [{(C₆F₃H₂)Au(CH₂PPh₂CH₂)₂Au}₂Au₂(CH₂PPh₂CH₂)₂]ClO₄ or [Au₂Pt(CH₂PPh₂S)₄X₂]