Noah Haynes Swayne

“ A dollar is the unit of our currency. It always means money, or what is regarded as money. In this case, the statute makes it the standard of measure with reference to the forbidden notes and obligations. If one of them be for a larger 'sum than one dollar,' it is not within the prohibition, and is not affected by the law. ”

“ This view is supported by the statutory requirement that the forbidden thing must be 'intended to circulate as money, or to be received or used in lieu of the lawful money of the United States.' One of the lexical definitions of the word 'sum,' and the sense in which it is most commonly used, is 'money.' 'Sum. (2.) A quantity of money or currency; any amount indefinitely, as a sum of money, a small sum, or a large sum.' Webster's Dic. 'For a less sum than one dollar' means exactly the same thing as for a less sum of money than one dollar. ”

“ Small notes payable in any specific articles, if issued, could have only a neighborhood circulation, and but a limited one there. It could be but little in the way of the stamps or small notes issued for the purposes of circulating change by the United States. Congress could, therefore, have had little or no motive to interfere with respect to the former. ”