Vaccine Therapy in Treating Patients With Stage IIB, Stage IIC, Stage III, or Stage IV Melanoma

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Histologically confirmed malignant melanoma * Stage IIB, IIC, III, or IV disease * Patients free of disease after surgical resection must meet 1 of the following criteria: * Refused high-dose interferon alfa * Recurrence while on interferon alfa * Patients with stage IIB, IIC, or III disease must have already undergone initial standard therapy (i.e., surgery) for the disease * Choroidal (uveal) melanoma allowed provided 1 of the following criteria is met: * Basal diameter \> 16 mm * Basal height \> 8 mm * Involvement of the ciliary body with tumor * HLA-A\*0201 positive * Negative serum antidouble-stranded DNA antibody screen * No known brain metastases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Karnofsky performance status 80-100% * Platelet count ≥ 100,000/mm\^3 * Absolute neutrophil count ≥ 1,500/mm\^3 * WBC ≥ 3,000/mm\^3 * Lactic dehydrogenase ≤ 2 times upper limit of normal (ULN) * Creatinine ≤ 2.0 mg/dL * Bilirubin ≤ 2.5 times ULN * Albumin ≥ 3.5 mg/dL * Not pregnant or nursing * Negative pregnancy test * Fertile patients must use effective contraception * Weight ≥ 25 kg * No preexisting choroidal eye disease * No serious underlying medical conditions that could be exacerbated by study participation (i.e., active infections requiring antimicrobial drugs or active bleeding) * No allergy to gold (i.e., gold jewelry) * No evidence of any condition at the proposed site(s) of vaccine administration that might interfere with the interpretation of local skin reactions, including any of the following: * Damaged skin * Moles * Scars * Tattoos * Marks * No prior medical condition or use of medication (e.g., corticosteroids) that might make it difficult for the patient to complete the full course of treatment or to respond immunologically to vaccines * No history or evidence (within the past 5 years) of a physician-diagnosed chronic or recurrent inflammatory skin disease at the proposed site of vaccine administration, including any of the following: * Psoriasis * Eczema * Atopic dermatitis * Hypersensitivity * No history of keloid formation PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * At least 4 weeks since prior chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or radiotherapy (6 weeks for nitrosoureas) and recovered * No prior immunization with any class of vaccine containing gp100 peptide * No other concurrent investigational agents * No other concurrent systemic therapy or radiotherapy