Colorless [Au{C(NHMe)(2)}(2)]X.H2O (X = Cl or Br) crystallize as dimers with Au...Au separations of 3,1231(3) Angstrom (Cl salt) and 3.1297(4) Angstrom (Br salt) between the linear, two-coordinate cations, and there is no direct interaction of Au(l) with the halide ions which are hydrogen bonded to ligand N-H groups and the water molecules. The luminescence of these dimers occurs at higher energy than that observed in extended chains of the same cation in the corresponding (PF6)(-) and (BF4)(-) salts and shows the important effects of aggregation on the observed luminescence.