Constitutional FAQ Answer #37

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The following was sent to me as part of an email that advertised for
a book about the Constitution…

Q37. “Send 20 FRNs [Federal Reserve Notes,
commonly but erroneously called dollars – see the Coinage Act of 1792. A dollar
is defined by law as 371.25 grains of fine silver].”

A. I was curious about this, so I looked it up. According to the U.S. Code:
“United States money is expressed in dollars” (31 USC 5101). The term “dollar” is used twice in the
Constitution: once in Article 1, Section 9
when referring to a slave tax (no more than 10 dollars per head) and once in
the 7th Amendment – the U.S. Code is essentially
putting into law what can be inferred from the Constitution. A dollar coin, by
law, is defined as: “a dollar coin that is 1.043 inches in diameter and weighs
8.1 grams” (31 USC 5112(a1)). So, I think the way it works is that a
federal reserve note is just another way of saying “dollar,” historical
definitions and superseded law not withstanding.

Do you accept checks with “dollars” pre-printed on them?

Last Modified: 16 Aug 2010

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