What measures, if any, were taken in the 19th century to prevent the various gold and silver rushes from wreaking havoc with prices and currencies by increasing the money supply?

serpa

I hope this might help. The Bland-Allison Act was an 1878 act of Congress requiring the U.S. Treasury to buy a certain amount of silver and put it into circulation as silver dollars. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bland-Allison_Act The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was enacted in July 14, 1890 as a United States federal law... In addition to the $2 million to $4 million that had been required by the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, the U.S. government was now required to purchase an additional 4.5 million ounces of silver bullion every month. The law required the Treasury to buy the silver with a special issue of Treasury (Coin) Notes that could be redeemed for either silver or gold. That plan backfired, as people (mostly investors) turned in the new coin notes for gold dollars, thus depleting the government's gold reserves. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherman_Silver_Purchase_Act Nov 26 10, 11:20 AM