Exactly, Robert.
In the early days following both the Revolution and the adoption of our Constitution ...our monetary system was unstable. Our mints were not established until long afterward. Local banks were permitted to issue paper currency of questionable value. We relied much on foreign coins...depending more on the content of gold or silver rather than the nation that coined them. Our economy depended much on barter to supplement our reliance on currency.
In the Appalachian region of the early 19thy century a deerskin (buckskin) had the same value of a one dollar coin. A buckskin was accepted at equal value for a dollar...in slang it became known as a buck.
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