* Fed sounds less hawkish note on rates, boosting gold
* Sterling and euro-priced gold touches more than three-year high
* GRAPHIC-Gold vs currencies: http://link.reuters.com/cyv95s (Updates prices, adds comment)
By Jan Harvey
LONDON, June 16 (Reuters) - Gold rallied to a two-year peak after the U.S. Federal Reserve sounded a less dovish note after its latest policy meeting, with the metal reaching three-year highs in euro and sterling terms ahead of Britain's vote on whether to leave the European Union.
The June 23 referendum has dented appetite for assets viewed as higher risk and sent investors scurrying for bonds and gold.
Spot gold XAU= was up 1.4 percent at $1,308.91 an ounce by 1355 GMT, while U.S. gold futures GCv1 for August delivery gained $24.20 to $1,312.50. Spot prices have bounced 7 percent this month after sliding to a 3-1/2 month low on May 30.
Sterling-denominated gold XAUGBP=R rose 2 percent to a three-year high of 931.27 pounds an ounce, while gold priced in euros XAUEUR=R reached its highest since April 2013 at 1,176.22 euros.
Expectations that the U.S. central bank would press ahead with interest rate increases over the summer faded earlier this month after the release of weak U.S. payrolls data for May.
"The U.S. job report took us from the lows on June 3. Brexit worries then gave us the next boost and yesterday the FOMC provided enough dovish ammunition for it to make a new high," said Saxo Bank's head of commodity research, Ole Hansen.
The Fed signalled on Wednesday that it still plans to raise rates twice this year but said that slower economic growth would crimp the pace of tightening in future years. sparked a jump in the price of gold, which is highly sensitive to rising rates that lift the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding assets such as bullion while boosting the dollar, in which it is priced.
"The longer the Fed is seen as delaying a rate hike, the better for gold," HSBC said in a note.
Momentum picked up further after the Bank of Japan held off from expanding monetary stimulus, prompting a more than 2 percent rally in the yen versus the dollar.
The U.S. currency was later up nearly 1 percent against the euro, while European shares hit a four-month low and oil prices headed for a sixth session of losses. FRX/ MKTS/GLOB
Holdings in the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, SPDR Gold Shares GLD , rose 0.23 percent to 900.75 tonnes on Wednesday, the highest since October 2013. GOL/ETF
Among other precious metals, silver XAG= rose 1.2 percent to $17.72 an ounce, platinum XPT= gained 1.3 percent to $982.91 and palladium XPD= was up 0.4 percent at $533.96. ($1 = 0.7095 pounds)
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http://link.reuters.com/cyv95s
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