Bland–Allison Act

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The Bland–Allison Act was an 1878 U.S. law that required the federal government to purchase and coin a limited amount of silver each month, partially restoring bimetallism after the “Crime of 1873.”


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf United States federal law
monetary policy legislation
alsoKnownAs Bland-Allison Silver Purchase Act
country United States
dateEnacted 1878-02-28
effect partially restored bimetallism in the United States
historicalContext post–Civil War monetary debates
reaction to the Coinage Act of 1873
impact expanded the money supply relative to the Coinage Act of 1873 regime
increased silver coinage in the United States
implementedBy United States Department of the Treasury
United States Mint
introducedBy Richard P. Bland NERFINISHED
William B. Allison NERFINISHED
jurisdiction United States federal government
languageOfWork English
legalStatus repealed
legislativeBody United States Congress
locationOfLegislature Washington, D.C.
monetaryStandard limited bimetallic standard
namedAfter Richard P. Bland NERFINISHED
William B. Allison NERFINISHED
nickNameOfContext partial reversal of the Crime of 1873
officeOfSigner President of the United States
opposedBy Rutherford B. Hayes
eastern financial interests
policyType silver purchase requirement
purpose to require the U.S. Treasury to purchase and coin silver
relatedTo Coinage Act of 1873
Sherman Silver Purchase Act
repealedBy Sherman Silver Purchase Act
repealYear 1890
requiredCoinage standard silver dollars
requiredMonthlySilverPurchaseMaximum 4,000,000 dollars worth of silver
requiredMonthlySilverPurchaseMinimum 2,000,000 dollars worth of silver
signedBy Rutherford B. Hayes
silverDollarDenomination one-dollar silver coin
silverDollarFineness 0.900 fine silver
silverDollarWeight 412.5 grains
subject United States monetary policy
bimetallism
silver coinage
supportedBy agrarian and debtor groups
silver interests in Western states
vetoedBy Rutherford B. Hayes
vetoOverriddenBy United States Congress
yearEnacted 1878


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