The Dollar

The Constitutional Guarantee of

the Value of our Money & Wealth

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 Do you know the answers to these
questions?
1. What is a Dollar?

2. What is a Federal Reserve Note?

3. What is significant about the word “Dollar” appearing in

the Constitution of the United States of America?

4. What is Lawful Money?

5. Does the Constitution allow the United States to issue

or print paper money?
 What is One Dollar?
One Dollar is a standard unit of measurement

Money: 371 ¼ grains of Silver minted = $1.00

Analogous
Time: 24 Hours = 1 Day * 7 = 1 Week

Weight: 16 Ounces = 1 Pound * 2000 = 1 Ton

Length: 1 Inch * 12 = 1 Foot * 3 = 1 Yard

The Dollar of the Constitution
Article I Section 8, Clause 5
[The Congress shall have Power]
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof,
and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of
Weights and Measures;
Article I Section 9, Clause 1
… a Tax or duty may be imposed on such
Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for
each Person.
Article I Section 10, Clause 1
No State shall … make any Thing but gold and
silver coin a Tender in Payments of Debts.
Amendment VII
In Suits at common law, where the value in
controversy shall exceed twenty dollars,
the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and
no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-
examined in any Court of the United States, than
according to the rules of the common law.
 Congress’ Responsibility to
Regulate the Value of Coin
Key:
X 100 =
1 troy oz = 480 grains (4,630 grains
1 troy oz = 31.1034 grams of Copper)

1 troy oz = 1.09714 oz 1 Cent

(46.3 grains 1 Dollar
of Copper) (371.25 grains Silver)

X 10 =
(3,712.5 grains
of Silver)

1 Dollar 10 Dollar
(371.25 grains Silver) (247.5 grains Gold)

Congress has the responsibility to regulate the value of all

minted coins to the fixed pure metal Dollar standard
 A Bit of History
The “Dollar” is a fixed standard
unit of measurement that was
established in 1497 by King
Ferdinand and Queen Isabella
of Spain. It is a minted coin
Silver eight real coin of Carlos and Johanna of Spain, dated
ca. 1544, depicting the Pillars of Hercules on the reverse.

containing at least 3714/16

grains of fine (pure) Silver.

Silver eight real coin of King Ferdinand VI of Spain, dated 1753.

Silver eight real coin of King Carlos III of Spain, dated 1776.
 The Dollar of the Constitution: A
coin containing 371¼ grains of Silver
In 1784 …Thomas Jefferson
said:
“If we determine that a dollar
shall be our unit, we must then
say with precision what a dollar
is." Our founding fathers followed
that advice and in 1792 the
dollar was defined as 371 ¼
grains of silver. From 1792 until
August 15, 1971 the dollar was
defined as a precise weight of
either silver or gold.”
The Dollar (Silver) coin guarantees
citizens a fixed measure of value
The constitutional Dollar – a
minted Coin containing 371 ¼
grains of silver – guarantees
value:
“It is significant that this power of
coining money is mentioned in the
same sentence in the Constitution
as the power to "fix the standards
of weights and measures,“ for the
framers regarded money as a
weight of metal and a measure
of value. Roger Sherman, a
delegate to the Constitutional
Convention, wrote that “If what is
used as a medium of exchange
is fluctuating in its value, it is no
better than unjust weights and
measures…which are
condemned by the Laws of God
and man …".
1794 Silver Dollar America's
First Silver Dollar Struck
 What is a Federal Reserve Note?

• It is a Private Bank Note

– (It is a promise from the bank to pay real lawful money)
• It is Redeemable for Lawful Money on Demand
– (Pursuant to Title 12 U.S.C. § 411)
• It is NOT Constitutionally Authorized Money
– (Constitution only authorizes gold or silver Coin as Tender in
Payment of Debts within the 50 states of the Union, see Article I
Section 10, Clause 1)
 Federal Reserve Notes are
NOT Dollar$ or Lawful Money
-CITE-
12 USC Sec. 411 01/03/05

-EXPCITE-
TITLE 12 - BANKS AND BANKING
CHAPTER 3 - FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM
= SUBCHAPTER XII - FEDERAL RESERVE NOTES

-HEAD-
Sec. 411. Issuance to reserve banks; nature of
obligation; redemption

-STATUTE-
Federal reserve notes shall be Federal reserve notes, to be issued at the discretion of
redeemed in lawful money on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
for the purpose of making advances to Federal reserve
demand. banks through the Federal reserve agents as hereinafter
set forth and for no other purpose, are authorized. The
said notes shall be obligations of the United States and
shall be receivable by all national and member banks
and Federal reserve banks and for all taxes, customs,
and other public dues. They shall be redeemed in
lawful money on demand at the Treasury Department
of the United States, in the city of Washington, District of
Columbia, or at any Federal Reserve bank.
 A Federal Reserve Note
is not a Dollar - they have no value
U.S. Dept of Treasury web
site states:
Federal Reserve notes are not
redeemable in gold, silver or any
other commodity, and receive no
backing by anything. This has
been the case since 1933. The
notes have no value for
themselves …
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/Currency/Pages/
legal-tender.aspx

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 Supreme Court - Coin Money is a
Constitutional Requirement
• United States v. Marigold, 50 U.S. (9 How.) 560, 567-568 (1850):
“They [Congress] appertain rather to the execution of an important trust invested by
the Constitution, and to the obligation to fulfill that trust on the part of the government,
namely, the trust and the duty of creating and maintaining a uniform and pure
metallic standard of value throughout the Union. The power of coining money and of
regulating its value was delegated to Congress by the Constitution for the very
purpose, as assigned by the framers of that instrument, of creating and preserving
the uniformity and purity of such standard of value * * *

"If the medium which the government was authorized to create and establish could
immediately be expelled, and substituted by one it had neither created, estimated,
nor authorized ­ one possessing no intrinsic value ­ then the power conferred by the
Constitution would be useless ­ wholly fruitless of every end it was designed to
accomplish. Whatever functions Congress are, by the Constitution, authorized to
perform, they are, when the public good requires it, bound to perform; and on this
principle, having emitted a circulating medium, a standard of value indispensable for the
purposes of the community, and for the action of the government itself, they are
accordingly authorized and bound in duty to prevent its debasement and expulsion,
and the destruction of the general confidence and convenience …."
1792 Penny
 The Legislature Knows The Truth
• From the Report of the Commission,
established pursuant to Public Law 96-389
“In addition to the compelling economic case for
the gold standard, a case buttressed by both
historical and theoretical arguments, there is a
compelling argument based upon the
Constitution. The present monetary
arrangements of the United States are
unconstitutional --even anti-constitutional--
from top to bottom.” (vol II, pg. 243)
 The Legislature Reinstituted Monetary Law
Within 6 Months of the Gold Commission
Report, the Legislature reinstitutes lawful Silver
Dollar money followed by Gold money in 1985.
 What is the effect of using legal tender notes vs. lawful
money?
Property = # Egg Cartons = # Lawful Money ($) # Legal Tender $
(Brown Eggs)

1957 = = =
U.S. Silver Certificate

1,600 Sq. Ft. Home ~37,700 ($)13,500 $13,500

No Lawful
1982 =
Money Available
Fed. Res. Bank Note

1,600 Sq. Ft. Home ~37,700 “$85,400”

2004 = = =
Fed. Res. Bank Note

1,600 Sq. Ft. Home

~37.700 ($)13,500 “$ 97,875”
 Unrealized losses of capital and property
Property = # Egg Cartons = # Lawful Money $ # Legal Tender $
(Brown Eggs)

Buy = = =
1957
U.S. Silver Certificate
1,600 Sq. Ft. Home ~37,700 ($)13,500 $13,500

Sell = = =
2004
Fed. Res. Bank Note

1,600 Sq. Ft. Home ~37,700 ($)13,500 $97,875

Federal Reserve Note
No Cartons of Eggs Gain No Lawful Money Gain “Gain” of $84,375
Alleged Tax Due
No Gain No Tax Due No Gain No Tax Due
~FRN$27,840

After FRN Tax results in a After FRN Tax results in a

Physical Egg Carton Loss of Lawful Money Property
10,723 Cartons of Eggs Loss of ($)3,840

The purported Federal Reserve Note “Gain” is actually a “quiet theft” in that
it results in a physical property loss with the perception of an actual gain.
 A loss of real economic value
Stock = # Egg Cartons = # Lawful Money $ # Legal Tender $
(Brown Eggs)

Buy = = =
1962
U.S. Silver Certificate
Original 4 Share ~5,424 $1,942.00 $1,942.00
IBM Stock

Sell = = =
2004
Fed. Res. Bank Note
Becomes 300 Shares ~10,635 $3,806.00 “$27,600”
IBM Stock
Federal Reserve Note
49% Gain in Eggs Cartons 49% Lawful Money Gain “93% Gain” of $25,658
Alleged Tax Due (15%)
Tax Due ~782 Egg Cartons Tax Due $279.60
~FRN$3,849

After FRN Tax results in a FRN Inflation results in a

Physical Egg Carton Loss of 30% tax rate or $530.89 of the
781 Cartons of Eggs $1,864 of the purported gain

The purported Federal Reserve Note “Gain” is actually a “quiet theft” in that
it results in an 30% tax rate with the perception of 15% tax rate.
 Relevant Law & Cases
• 31 USC 5119(a) • Thompson v. Butler,
– “the Secretary shall … maintain 95 U.S. 694 (1878)
the equal purchasing power of – A dollar is a dollar
each kind of United States – See 5th Cir. Opinion
currency” Crummy v. Klein ISD,
No. 08-20133, Oct. 2, 2008
• 12 USC 411
– “Federal reserve notes … shall be • Juilliard v. Greenman,
redeemed in lawful money on demand 110 U.S. 421 (1884)
at the Treasury Department of the – Congress has the right to issue
United States, in the city of redeemable legal tender paper
Washington, District of Columbia, or at currency.
any Federal Reserve bank.”
• United States v. Marigold,
• 31 USC 5112(a)(7)-(10), (e) 50 U.S. (9 How.) 560 (1850)
– These sections define the size weight
– Constitutionally coined money is a
and pure metal content of each lawful
pure metallic standard of value; a
money coin.
coin with known intrinsic value.
 Issues Created by New Laws
and Old Opinions
• The “dollar is a dollar” [Thompson v. Butler, 95 U.S. 694
(1878)] concept is still true today. However, the
constitutional dollar is confounded with the FRN
“dollar”, despite the fact that they lack the
requisite equality of purchasing power as
required by law [see: 31 U.S.C 5119(a)].
• United States Notes [see: Juilliard v. Greenman,
110 U.S. 421 (1884)], when they were available, were
always redeemable at their full face value; unlike
their Federal Reserve note counter-part.
We have a Constitutional Crisis
Article I Section 10, Clause 1
No State shall make any Thing but gold and
silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts
– What does the State of Texas declare is legal
tender?
– Does the State of Texas enforce payments of
taxes, fines and other debts in anything other
than gold in silver coin?

Since the federal constitution has removed all danger of our having a paper
tender, our trade advanced fifty percent. Our monied people can trust their
cash [throughout the country], and have brought their coin into circulation.
The Pennsylvania Gazette, Dec. 16, 1789.
 History shows us the solution!
• 1786 – Paper Money • 1791 – Coin Money
(Articles of Confederation period) (Constitutional Law reigns)
Blood running in the streets. Mobs of Tranquility reigns among the people
rioters and demonstrators threatening with that disposition towards the
banks and legislators. Looting of shop general government which is likely
and liotne. Credit ruined. Strikes and to preserve it. Our public credit
unemployment. Trade and distribution [with its foundation on solid
paralyzed. Shortages of food. money] stands on high ground
Bankruptcies everywhere. Court which three years ago it would
dockets overloaded. Kidnappings for have been considered as a
heavy ransom. Sexual perversion, species of madness to have
drunkenness, lawlessness rampant. foretold.
America, 1786: George Washington to James Madison July 20, 1791, George Washington to David Humphreys

“If anyone had predicted that our economic and social ills could have been
solved by simply making nothing but gold and silver coin our money, he
would have been call crazy” paraphrase George Washington taken from MOMS 7 Edition pg. 60
th
 What should we do?
1. Don’t Panic!
– Lawful money (silver and gold) coins exist.
– Viable economic transition models exist (i.e. the Euro).

2. Implement a dual monetary system

– Price goods and services throughout the state in both Federal Reserve
note (FRN)$ and Lawful Money $.
– Use the European model to transition all prices, taxes, fines and other
debts to Lawful Money $ units over 24 – 36 months.

3. Implement Lawful Money State Banks

– All deposits and interest are paid in Lawful Money silver or gold coin.
 What else can we do?
• Encourage your citizens to use specific
Lawful Money language in all sales and
licensing contracts to avoid the conflicts
created by new laws and old opinions.
• Encourage your citizens to pay any
appropriate Federal taxes in Federal
Reserve notes and let the Secretary of
Treasury worry about redeeming them at
their lawful money face value.
 How can we help?
• We can identify competent people who
can draft, critique, consult with respect to:
1. Sound constitutional money legislation;
2. Purchasing contracts;
3. Licensing agreements.
Example Payment Clause:
Example License Fee Clause:
 Conclusion
• The current financial crisis is the inevitable result of the
current fiat monetary system.

• Only a constitutionally sound monetary system can

protect the state of Texas and her citizens from the
devastating effects of a fiat currency.

• It’s time for the legislature of Texas to take action and

implement sound money legislation to protect Texas and
her citizens from the unconscionable effects of the
private fiat banking system.