This section is from the book "Banking, Credits And Finance", by Thomas Herbert Russell. Also available from Amazon: Banking, credit and finance (Standard business).
The act of February 28,1878, authorizing the issue of the standard silver dollars, provided that any holder of such dollars might deposit them in sums not less than $10 with the Treasurer or any assistant treasurer of the United States and receive-certificates therefor, in denominations not less than $10, said certificates to be receivable for customs, taxes, and all public dues. The act of August 4, 1886, authorized the issue of the smaller denominations of $1, $2, and $5. Silver certificates have practically taken the place in circulation of the standard silver dollars which they represent. The amount outside of the Treasury July 1, 1908, was $405,581,977, while the amount of standard silver dollars outside the Treasury was only $76,354,933. The act of March 14, 1900, provided that thereafter the issue of silver certificates should be limited to the denominations of $10 and under, except that 10 per cent of the total volume of such certificates, in the discretion of the Secretary of the Treasury, may be issued in denominations of $20, $50, and $100. Neither silver certificates nor silver dollars are redeemed in gold.
 
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