[Christopher Lincoln]

There was, or should have been, no need for the Constitution to deny to Congress a power which it did not grant in the first place.

[Lurking Libertarian]

There was, or should have been, no need for the Constitution to deny to Congress a power which it did not grant in the first place.

The Constitution gave Congress the power "To coin Money, [and] regulate the Value thereof," (Art. I, sec. 8, cl.5), which the Supreme Court held way back in 1870 included the power to make paper money legal tender.