Gold and greenbacks at par

In 1885 specie payments have resumed. Greenbacks and gold are at par in practice. The statute that defines the dollar as gold is still 1900.

Morgan dollar, 1878, the silver design that followed Bland–Allison. Not a new silver statute of this page’s year.Public domain.

On 1 January 1879 the United States resumed specie payments. United States Notes and gold were treated as par in practice. That resumption is already in force.

Bland–Allison’s limited silver purchases are also already law. They are not free coinage at 16 to 1. Defining the dollar as 25.8 grains of gold, nine-tenths fine, waits until the Gold Standard Act of 1900.

The road back to gold →