The
Coinage Act or the
Mint Act, passed by the
United States Congress on April 2, 1792, established the
United States Mint and regulated the coinage of the United States. The long title of the legislation is
An act establishing a mint, and regulating the Coins of the United States. This act established the silver
dollar as the unit of money in the United States, declared it to be
lawful tender, and created a
decimal system for U.S. currency.