SYDNEY, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Gold gained more than $6 in early trading on Monday, helped by a steadier U.S. dollar after a big leap in October that drove some investors out of bullion. - Spot gold fetching $726.80 a ounce at 2308 GMT versus $720.10 late on Friday. - The CRB commodities index .CRB rose 0.7 percent on Friday, aided by a recovery in oil prices. - Still, gold was sold off sold on mounting worries about further downturns in the global economy. - The U.S. dollar steadies after recording its biggest monthly gain in more than 17 years in October as investors brace for another round of interest rate cuts this week by the world's major central banks. - Australian dollar holds steady against the U.S. currency and the Japanese yen . - Australia dollar gold fetching A$1,081.76 an ounce versus A$1,082.25 late on Friday. - Australia, the world's third largest gold producing country, saw its currency fall to multi-year lows last month, sweeping bullion in Aussie dollar terms to its highest ever, A$1.417.0 an ounce. - Spot platinum selling for $808.00 an ounce against $813.50 late on Friday. - Spot palladium falls $1 to $192.50 an ounce, while spot silver dropped three cents to $9.80 an ounce. Precious metals prices at 2253 GMT Metal Last Change Pct chg YTD pct chg Turnover Spot Gold 723.05 0.00 +0.00 -13.17 Spot Silver 9.80 -0.01 -0.10 -33.65 Spot Platinum 808.00 -5.00 -0.62 -46.84 Spot Palladium 192.50 -1.00 -0.52 -47.69 Euro/Dollar 1.2749 Dollar/Yen 98.35 TOCOM prices in yen per gram, except TOCOM silver which is priced in yen per 10 grams. Spot prices in $ per ounce. (Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Kim Coghill)

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