Accordingly, every modern currency unit originated as a unit of weight of gold or silver.

相应的，所有现代货币单位都起源于黄金或白银的重量。

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And as a currency alternative, silver is more practical.

另外，作为货币替代品的白银更实用。

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When the United States was founded, we shifted from the British pound currency to the dollar, defining the dollar as approximately 1 /20 of a gold ounce, or 0.8 silver ounces.

当美国建国后，我们从英镑货币转到了美元货币，那时美元被定义为二十分之一盎司的黄金，或者零点八盎司的白银。

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Should the United States support its currency with gold or with gold and silver?

VOA: special.2010.07.01

William Jennings Bryan was a liberal Democrat, a prohibitionist Presbyterian preacher, and an advocate of a silver-based currency.

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As a result few gold coins were actually minted and the vast majority of US currency was silver.

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From 1861 until 1873 neither gold nor silver were used as currency and all US currency was paper which could not be exchanged for either.

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