constitutional right to demand payments in gold/silver coins???

Question

The Constitution says States may not "make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts" (Article I Section 10). So if, say, I have some money to receive from the State of Florida (as a result of a lawsuit that I win against it for example), does that mean that I can demand that they pay me in gold and silver coins?

I know this is absurd, but that's what the Constitution seems to say, isn't it?

Answer 1

Your question has been settled, as a matter of law, by a Supreme Court decision rendered somewhere about 125 or 130 years ago. There ain't no going back. The federal government has the Court's permission to make other forms of currency besides just coins and that is a precedent which just ain't going to be overturned. Deal with it.

Answer 2

Well, yes and no. You could demand to be paid in gold or silver, but the paperwork would be a nightmare, and the gold/silver would have the taxes and whatnot withheld the same as if it was paper money, and it would be at the current market rate for the commodities, i.e. if you're owed $200, you'd get paid $200 worth of gold, and this value can fluctuate wildly. (Considering gold's over $1000 an ounce at present, it wouldn't be very much gold anyway)

If you really want the gold or silver, I suggest you just take the money and then go out and buy the gold, silver, or whatever commodity with it and then hang onto that.

Getting paid in real stuff really only makes sense at the private or small business level, say I agreed to pay you in silver coins for working for me over the summer and we had a contract (it helps to have things on paper), if, let's say for argument, I were to balk on it, you could then take me and the contract before a judge and then I'd be legally obliged to pay you your silver coins.

Doesn't necessarily have to be gold or silver, either, I sometimes accept goods or commodities like steel or aluminum in place of Federal Reserve Notes, for I know I can sell them on later if I want to, just have to agree on the amount of whatever with the other party and what goods/services they want from me, then we make up the contract and sign it, then I stamp "PAID IN FULL" once the goods are delivered, case closed.

Answer 3

It's not in the least bit absurd. How did we fund government and conduct business before 1913? Ask 100 people that and I bet maybe 3 to 5 people might now...probably not even...

Federal Rserve Notes, now fiat money backed by nothing, are NOT redeemable for gold...that ended a long time ago...

the Federal Reserive isn't federal, and there is no reserve, it writes checks to the US treasury out of thin air, we pay it back with interest...it's a tool of tyrants, historically.

Why should be pay interest to some private bank, whose members are not all public, when congress and the states could coin gold and silver money INTEREST FREE...

accepting anything other than INTEREST FREE CONSTITUTIONAL MONEY is 100% unconstitutional...but we've had a few generations to insure a dumbed down population won't notice a slip into third world status, until it's abhorrently obvious.

fiat currency like the federal reserve note inflates and inflates and inflates, and eventually becomes worthless...gold and silver as money does not inflate, and is necessary for an economy to flourish...without gold and silver, you get increasing poverty and shifting of wealth to elites...it's a tool to destroy a society and insert a command and control type system...

It's history all over again...and unles people actually take the time to learn about it instead of instantly dismissing it thinking nothing bad can happen here...we're doomed to repeat it...

Answer 4

No. Federal Reserve Notes (cash money) are used in public in lieu of gold. So, technically, you are being paid in gold. It's just not... gold.