Coinage Act Passed
- When
- 1792
- Where
- United States Congress
- Episodes
- 1
The Coinage Act of 1792, officially titled An act establishing a mint, and regulating the Coins of the United States, was passed by the United States Congress on April 2, 1792. This legislation created the United States dollar and established the United States Mint, defining the coinage standards for the new nation.
Episodes
Background and detail
Legislative Context. The act, also known as the Mint Act, was enacted during the 2nd Congress. It formally established the United States Mint and regulated the coins of the United States. The legislation defined the official weight and fineness standards for gold and silver coins, setting the framework for the nation's monetary system.
Key Provisions. The Act prescribed a specific fine standard for silver coins, initially based on the Spanish dollar standard. Section 19 established severe penalties for debasing gold or silver coins or embezzling metals, originally carrying the death penalty for mint officers. These provisions aimed to ensure the integrity of the newly created currency.
People involved
- United States Congress · Legislative Body
Sources
- Coinage Act of 1792 Wikipedia, revision of 2026-08-27
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.