The company went out of business last month because it did not have the minimum amount of capital required to trade futures and government securities.

It currently offers clients the ability to trade stocks, options and futures on three different platforms.

At other commodity exchanges, the picture is not quite as glum, in large part because many exchanges trade financial futures, which have done well.

She wanted to trade silver futures, a market beginning to show a slight move.

Members of each exchange will also gain some rights to trade futures on both exchanges.

"Commodities swaps are more efficient than trying to trade individual futures," he said.

Stotler went out of business in July because it fell short of the minimum capital required to trade futures and government securities.

The two exchanges, founded in the 19th century to trade agricultural futures, first proposed combining last October.

Another one will provide the first opportunity ever to trade futures on the Dow Jones industrial average.

In fact, it ended up trading mainly silver and gold futures.