The Liberty Lamp: Libertarian News & Editorials

NORFED, the organization behind the American Liberty Dollar has responded to the Treasury Department's misleading allegations that insinuate that the ALD is somehow "illegal" or "illegitimate". As you read this, remember the old adage: "First they ignore you; then they laugh at you; then they angrily attack you; finally, they accept your ideas as if they had always been the truth"...


Liberty Dollar says no to US Mint allegations
9/14/2006

I'd like to respond to the US Mint article posted on their website today.

NORFED, dba The American Liberty Dollar, based in Evansville, IN, has never produced "legal tender". We privately mint currency that is backed by gold and silver, not the United States Government. The designs and verbiage on our specie and certificate are original and are not copies of any US Mint currency.

The Liberty Dollar began in 1998 and has been in circulation throughout the US for eight years. We have over 2500 Liberty Associates, 75 Regional Currency Offices, and thousands of Liberty Merchants accepting the Liberty Dollar. We have never been notified nor had suit brought by the US Department of Justice.

As a matter of fact Claudia Dickens, spokeswoman for the U.S. Treasury
Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, said American Liberty
Currency is legitimate. "There's nothing illegal about this," Dickens said after the Treasury Department's legal team reviewed the currency. "As long as it doesn't say legal tender there's nothing wrong with it."

Andrew Williams, a spokesman for the Federal Reserve in Washington, D.C.:

"There is no law that says goods and services must be paid for with Federal Reserve notes. Parties entering into a transaction can establish any medium of exchange that is agreed upon."

In addition, Art Rolnick, Director of Research for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, in a January 2000 interview, stated

"If these (NORFED) people want to issue their own money, so be it."

Also, throughout the years associates have been in contact with the Secret Service if someone called in to question the legitimacy of the Liberty Dollar.
The Secret Service has never had a problem with us.

The US Mint statement:

"..under the Constitution (Article I, section 8, clause 5), Congress has the exclusive power to coin money" is inaccurate. The US Constitution states "The Congress shall have Power To. To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;."

It says nothing about exclusive. Follow the link from their website and see for yourself.

Regarding the US Mint reference to violation of 18 USC ss 486, in the fall of 2002 Liberty Dollar attorney's reviewed and scrutinized section 486 and issued a public disclaimer that acknowledged that the one ounce Gold and Silver Liberty's were not in violation of federal law and particularly Section 486. It is the opinion of our lead attorney that the Gold and Silver Liberty's distributed by NORFED are not in conflict because they are not "coins", nor are we circulating them as "money" as defined by the government.

Basically the Liberty Dollar is doing for the Federal Reserve what Federal Express did for the US Postal service.It brought competition and it went all the way to the US Supreme Court to prove its position. We are prepared to do the same if necessary. We would like to hear from the US Department of Justice prosecutor(s), who and where are they?

Michael Johnson
Executive Director
NORFED, dba The Liberty Dollar

PS- I spent several new $5 Quarter Liberties into the economy this week, and they were readily accepted. 100% success so far! Americans aren't dumb, and when faced with the prospect of choosing either real, honest money, or fake and worthless fiat currency ("legal tender", as the Treasury and Fed euphamistically like to call it), they take the option with real value, in this case the Liberty Dollar.