If you are hardcore interested in the nature, history, and legalities of the US dollar, federal reserve, gold standard, etc - then the massive multi-thousand page, two volume set, "Pieces of Eight" by Dr Edwin Vieira is something to look in to. He has multiple Harvard degrees and is considered the top expert on the legal history of money and banking in the US. It is the most detailed examination of the entire monetary history of the US from pre-Revolution to present-day. It has solid conclusions, too. Obviously, most people don't have the time to dedicate to this type of study, but it is still something worth looking up online to get an idea of what he is talking about. I know some people here were curious about the Constitutionality of fiat money in the US so I thought I'd mention this book. I just got my copy in the mail and have started reading, so can't answer your questions yet
The old copies on Amazon run into the thousands of dollars. You can order a re-print, subsidized by GATA and James Turk, directly from Dr. Vieira at his home address in Virginia.
